True Believers, Protesters And Trump: Scenes From Cleveland

VPM | By Ariel Zambelich

Published July 22, 2016 at 8:39 PM EDT

Updated April 20, 2023

(Left) Pro-Donald Trump buttons for sale on the street in Cleveland. (Center) A large screen truck with a photo of President Ronald Reagan can be seen through a crowd as it is stopped at a light. (Right) Supporters listen to speakers at a pro-Trump rally on Tuesday.

A national convention aims to offer a space for a political party to unify — to hone its message, set aside internal divisions and move forward toward a shared adversary. As Republicans sweep up confetti and try to forget the Ted Cruz-Donald Trump flame war, Democrats pack their bags for Philadelphia, hoping to unite their own badly split party.

It’s easy to say the divisions that surface in a major election year are somehow worse than the one before, anger and divisiveness compounding but with little change. The political rhetoric stays the same, year after year: “… We are going to fix the system.”

During her week in Cleveland, photographer Gabriella Demczuk explored the ways that people are embracing and challenging the Republican Party’s mission in this election — both from inside and outside the party. Here is a selection of what she saw.

Light falls on the American flag at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. / Gabriella Demczuk for NPR

The day before the convention officially started, police monitor protesters — including those marching with the Black Lives Matter movement — as they work their way through the streets of Cleveland. Meanwhile, delegates line up for an official convention party (right). / Gabriella Demczuk for NPR

A woman listens to a speaker at the People's Justice and Peace Conference at the Ohio City Masonic Arts Center. — A woman listens to a speaker at the People’s Justice and Peace Conference at the Ohio City Masonic Arts Center. / Gabriella Demczuk for NPR

Attendees take in Wednesday evening's program at the convention hall through different screens. — Attendees take in Wednesday evening’s program at the convention hall through different screens. / Gabriella Demczuk for NPR

An anti-Hillary Clinton sticker lies discarded on the floor at the close of the convention. / Gabriella Demczuk for NPR

Accepting the Republican nomination for president, Trump speaks at the close of the convention. / Gabriella Demczuk for NPR

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Ariel Zambelich

Ariel Zambelich is an editor on NPR's award-winning Visuals Team, which collaborates with the newsroom to tell stories that create empathy through photojournalism, illustration, graphics, design, data reporting, and video journalism. She has covered major breaking news events, collaborated on international stories including climate change in India and war in Afghanistan, photographed high-profile figures like President Obama and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and contributed to long-term investigations about veterans' issues and the effects of mustard gas testing.

A Los Angeles native, she graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in journalism. She attended the Eddie Adams Workshop in 2008, earned a nomination for World Press Photo's Joop Swart Masterclass in 2009, and attended the Kalish Workshop for photo editing in 2012. Previously, she worked as a freelance photojournalist for clients such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, FADER, M le Magazine du Monde, Bloomberg Businessweek, and Vice, among others. She also spent several years co-directing a documentary photography gallery in San Francisco, and working as a photo editor/photographer at WIRED Magazine.

See stories by Ariel Zambelich