PHILADELPHIA -- Protesters, party leaders and city officials were making final plans as Philadelphia prepared to host the four-day Democratic National Convention, which starts Monday.
More than 5,000 delegates are among the 50,000 people expected to attend the gathering at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, which is expected to culminate with Hillary Clinton being named the party's official nominee for president.
The former secretary of state and first lady has named Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate.
Protest groups prepared Saturday for events scheduled throughout the week to address health care, immigration, economic justice and other concerns. Clean energy supporters met in the city's Kensington neighborhood to finish artwork they'll carry in a planned march today from City Hall to Independence Mall.
"The demonstration is here to send a message to the assembled political leaders, especially because it's unique to Pennsylvania. This is a state that is kind of ground zero for the movement against fracking," said Peter Hart, a spokesman for Food and Water Watch, a Washington-based group that promotes clean-energy alternatives.
Meanwhile, about 30 anti-abortion activists who oppose Clinton's presidential bid marched in West Philadelphia.
Temperatures forecast to hit the high 90s were a concern. Mayor Jim Kenney issued a heat warning Saturday.
"If you are demonstrating when a thunderstorm warning occurs, safety personnel will direct you to the nearest sheltered area. You will be able to return to your demonstration area as soon as the safety threat has passed," he said.
The high temperatures were expected to stick around all week. Misting tents, medics and bottled water will be available at FDR Park and along South Broad Street, where protesters plan to gather.
Kenney urged demonstrators to refrain from camping, given the likelihood of storms and high temperatures, even in the overnight hours. The city did not issue any camping permits, he said.
For security measures, officials are banning large trucks and other vehicles from stretches of Interstate 95 and other highways in and around the city, and closing some highway ramps near the arena.
Downtown, the host committee for the convention has wrapped many of the large construction sites remaking the city in heavy cloth, or scrims, emblazoned with famous political quotes.
"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly," reads a quote from President John F. Kennedy at the under-construction Love Park.
Former Gov. Ed Rendell, the host committee chairman, called the scrims, which were unveiled Saturday, "a fun and educational way to showcase the city's productivity while also beautifying the sites as we prepare for the eyes of the world to focus on us next week."
Republicans, meanwhile, noted that Philadelphia recently has been mired by corruption cases, many of which implicated Democrats across the state.
In June, a longtime Philadelphia congressman, Chaka Fattah, was convicted of laundering federal grants and nonprofit funds to repay an illegal $1 million campaign loan and help family and friends.
Last year, former state Treasurer Rob McCord left office and pleaded guilty to attempted extortion in a campaign-fundraising scandal.
Attorney General Kathleen Kane is awaiting trial on charges that she unlawfully leaked secret grand jury material to a newspaper and then lied about it under oath.
The former sheriff of Philadelphia has been charged with conspiracy; traffic judges have been convicted of ticket-fixing; and state lawmakers have admitted taking bribes.
Jeff Jubelirer, a communications consultant who has worked on Republican campaigns, said these cases send a message about this overwhelmingly Democratic city, which could provide grist for presidential nominee Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans as the general election draws near.
"From a messaging standpoint, it lines up well for the Trump forces to say crooked Hillary and crooked Philadelphia," Jubelirer said.
Information for this article was contributed by Catherine Lucey of The Associated Press.
A Section on 07/24/2016