Prayer group requesting permit during GOP Convention | News

Tampa, Fla. -- The permit deadline for protestors and others planning rallies during the Republican National Convention passed Monday with at least 10 more groups filing the required paperwork.

Among those requesting a permit before Monday's 5 p.m. deadline was a group identified as Pray Tampa Bay. The group says it wants to gather on the first day of the convention at Lykes Gaslight Park and pray over Tampa and the convention.

The GOP convention starts on August 27^th in Tampa.

Another group called March on RNC says it too wants to use Lykes Gaslight Park as a staging area on August 27th before marching to the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The group says it expects 5,000 people to participate.

Other groups who filed for a permit on Monday include the Florida Consumer Action Network, Doctors for America, Coptic Christians Against Persecution, and Euro RSCG.

Previously, Planned Parenthood filed for a permit to hold an event on Aug. 29th at Centennial Park and the West Central Florida Federation of Labor AFL-CIO applied for five daily parade permits during the convention.

Last week, a group called Morning in America also filed paperwork saying it wants to create a 5-foot tall ice sculpture that says, "Middle Class," which will then melt under the Florida sun.

A permit is needed for any group of 50 or more people that plan on meeting at designated city parks during the convention. A lottery will be held on Friday, June 15^th for groups that requested use of the same park on the same day.

Groups without a permit will still be able to use the event zone parade route if it's not already in use.

The parade route has not yet been defined.