Cleveland - The tens of thousands of protesters poised to disrupt the Republican National Convention never materialized on the Monday opening of the Donald Trump's Cleveland bash.

There were several pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrations crisscrossing the city as thousands of delegates streamed into the Quicken Loans Arena, but they remained peaceful amid a huge show of force from law enforcement officials.

Squads of state troopers and city police patrolled the city and kept vigil over protests, which included a march through downtown Cleveland that attracted several thousand.

Other events garnered only a smattering of demonstrators. At one protest near Cleveland's water shore, a small group of white supremacists chanted near a contingent from Black Lives Matter. But they were vastly outnumbered by reporters and bicycle officers who ringed both groups.

"I was expecting a lot more people," said Shanisha Hunter, 32, who traveled from New York to demonstrate. "But every little bit counts."

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Yemaya Lyles (right) wipes away tears during a news conference in front of the Rockdale County Public Schools administration building on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Lyles' son, Antonio, was assaulted by a paraprofessional, who has since been fired and charged with battery. Lyles says her case against the school district has dragged on since then. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2023)

Credit: Miguel Martinez