Several Jacksonville residents and business owners are suing to cancel or scale down the scheduled Aug. 24-27 Republican National Convention due to coronavirus health concerns.
Attorneys William Gentry and C. Rufus Pennington III filed the complaint July 8 in the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Duval County against the city of Jacksonville, the RNC, President Trump and ASM Global Parent Inc. ASM Global operates the 15,000-seat VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, the proposed convention location.
“Unless restricted by the court, the congregation of thousands of people in close proximity for extended periods of time will constitute a nuisance and will result in massive spread of COVID-19 among the persons in attendance and throughout the city of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida and interfere in plaintiffs’ use and enjoyment of their property and right to be free of infliction of disease and death,” the complaint states.
In response to a query from the Florida Record, an RNC spokesman said the event organizers would work to create a safe environment and comply with local health regulations.
“The convention is still a month and a half away, so there is time to adjust and make the most appropriate decisions regarding venue options and an array of health precautions that will allow us to have a safe and exciting convention for all,” RNC spokesman Mike Reed said in an email. “We will continue to coordinate with local leadership in Jacksonville and in Florida in the weeks ahead.”
Vice President Mike Pence told reporters in a conference call this week that GOP officials are also looking at relocating the event to an outdoor location to reduce the risk of asymptomatic people spreading the virus. Some critics, however, panned the idea of an outdoor event during a month when Florida is known for its hot, humid weather.
The Jacksonville Public Affairs Office told the Record in an email that it would not comment on the pending litigation, but city officials emphasized that state and local coronavirus restrictions are now in place.
“As it stands right now, any venue is limited to a 50 percent capacity under the governor’s executive order,” the city’s statement said. “Plus, masks must be worn indoors in Jacksonville where people cannot social distance.”
The lawsuit seeks to declare the convention as currently planned a nuisance unless it is limited to 2,500 people or less, with at least 12,500 of the arena’s seats roped off. In addition, spectators would have to comply with a mandatory mask requirement and be spaced apart at a distance of at least 6 feet at all times.
Because attendees will be coming from throughout the United States, the RNC event fits the description of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “highest-risk” virus-spreading event, the lawsuit says.