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Police in riot gear stop an anti-GOP march from approaching the Tampa Bay Times Forum during a protest rally in Tampa, Florida on August 28, 2012. | Getty Cleveland seeks riot gear ahead of RNC

Cleveland wants to buy 2,000 sets of riot gear ahead of the Republican National Convention in July, as the host city looks to spend some of the $50 million federal security grant it received in the omnibus passed last December.

The equipment request out for contractors includes riot-control suits and collapsible batons, according to documents posted by Cleveland.com on Thursday from the city's website. The mayor of Cleveland has previously said that the city would spend $30 million of the funds on personnel and the rest on equipment.

Past RNC gatherings have been the site of political protests, including 100,000 protesters in New York City during the 2004 convention and mass arrests during the 2008 convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The 2008 convention protests turned violent, leading to the convictions of two participants on weapons charges.

Philadelphia, the host city for the Democratic National Committee, also received $50 million to pay for security-related measures for its event the week after the RNC. Both are designated national special security events.