New London — City officials expect to meet with representatives from the U.S. Secret Service this week to shore up security plans in advance of a May 17 visit by President Donald Trump for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduation.

It won’t be until after Thursday’s meeting that groups planning rallies or protests for the visit will be provided direction on what areas might be off limits, New London Chief Administrative Officer Steve Fields said Tuesday.

While several groups like Action Together New London County have announced their plans to protest, it is a pro-Trump gathering that was the first to obtain official permission for use of a city park.

The Parks and Recreation Commission last week granted conservative radio talk show host and local real estate agent Lori Hopkins-Cavanagh’s request for exclusive use of McKinley Park off Williams Street. It is one of the closest city-owned sites to the Coast Guard Academy.

Hopkins-Cavanagh, who plans a series of pro-Trump speakers and banners welcoming Trump to the city, initially applied for use of the park to the city and was frustrated when she was told that all permits were to be reviewed by the police department and approval was contingent on Secret Service approval.

She said the delay in the city’s response amounted to a quashing of her freedom of speech rights and was an obstacle to her planning the event. She said she suspects that city officials in this Democratic-majority city have political motivations for trying to stop a pro-Trump rally.

“What happened is they violated a longstanding policy for permits in the city. They took my permit, changed all the rules to stop me in my tracks from doing a welcoming rally,” Hopkins-Cavanagh said. “They have never once in the history to New London changed the permitting process. They did it for me because I’m conservative and a Trump supporter.”

Fields said that the city is not playing favorites but the Secret Service would be the one to identify areas as security zones and it would be up to the police department to secure those areas.

The city has an obligation to protect and provide a safe place to gather for both protesters and supporters, Fields said. He said that after Thursday’s meeting, the city will know better if streets need to be temporarily closed for the event and if certain sites are off limits.

“We’re not running this thing. We are taking our orders for this particular event from the Secret Service’s presidential detail,” Fields said.

Hopkins-Cavanagh said she won’t use McKinley Park if the Secret Service decides no one can use the park but suspects the Secret Service has no interest in closing down a public park.

Recreation Commission member Michael Hudson, a Republican, said city officials never informed the commission of anything that would bar use of the park for Trump’s visit, though use of the park is contingent on availability.

“There have always been demonstrations at McKinley Park,” Hudson said. “It sounds like they’re trying to suppress any pro-Trump turnout. It flies in the face of democracy.”

Hudson said few people know about or use McKinley Park and credits Hopkins-Cavanagh with having the foresight to reserve the site. He said that for the mayor or police chief to indicate they are the determining factor in who uses a park is “pure subterfuge.”

“She’s one step ahead,” Hudson said of Hopkins-Cavanagh.

g.smith@theday.com