A group of several dozen activists, who had separated from a larger march advocating for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, were removed from a restricted area by police, including those led by Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling.
Police wearing helmets with masks attached formed a line along a fence, which had been previously breached and still had several panels missing, while some activists shouted at them. Several protesters who had managed to get through the fence were detained and handcuffed by the police. There are multiple layers of fences set up oustide Chicago’s United Center.
At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees, the DNC said.
Earlier Monday, a coalition of 290 human rights groups demanding an end to the war in Gaza and Biden administration's funding for Israel kicked off their protest rally at Union Park in Chicago by taking a page from former President Donald Trump’s playbook of providing nicknames to their opponents.
Calling President Joe Biden “Genocide Joe,” Vice President Kamala Harris “Killer Kamala” and Secretary of State Antony Blinken “Baby Killer,” the group was set to march for 1.1 miles until they are within sight and sound of the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place.
“Kamala Harris is part of this administration. She is part and parcel of — and in lockstep with — 75 years of U.S. policies in relation to Palestine and the Arab world,” Hatem Abudayyeh, the spokesperson for Coalition to March on the DNC said to a group that could swell to the tens of thousands for a march that city officials would not allow on the streets by the convention center.
"We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end U.S. aid to Israel and stand with Palestine," Abudayyeh said.
The groups that form the coalition represent students, immigrants, the LGBTQ community and other causes and are united in their opposition to U.S. support for Israel. While March on the DNC 2024 does not take a stand on whether or not people should vote or who they should vote for, “we don’t think there is a lesser of two evils when it comes to Palestine and the Arab world" said Abudayyeh.
"The Republicans and Democrats are in lockstep,” he said. “We will not take any responsibility if Kamala Harris loses this election to Trump. Their policies are responsible only and nobody else.”
Calling Harris and Biden war criminals, the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine, another activist group, said they plan to make it clear to Democratic leaders at their convention this week that “enough is enough” with the war in Gaza.
In addition to two major rallies this week held by the March on the DNC 2024 coalition on Monday and Thursday to protest U.S. support for Israel, the local Palestinian rights group plans to hold another rally August 21 at Union Park.
“Bring your voices, posters and kuffiyehs as we make it clearer than ever that no business will go as usual until no more Palestinians are massacred,” the group posted on Instagram. “The DNC cannot party while there is a genocide in Gaza. Welcome to hell week.”
March on the DNC organizers expect tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors during this week’s convention.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said authorities were well prepared. “The city of Chicago is really good at things like this,” he told a news conference. “We are ready.”
The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses were bringing activists from all over the country. Organizers said they hoped the turnout for Monday’s march and rally would be at least 20,000 people.
Activists say they learned lessons from last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They expect bigger crowds and more robust demonstrations in Chicago.
Pro-Palestinian supporters descended on the park, west of the Loop business district, for a rally. They planned to march a short distance to a site near the United Center, where the convention is taking place.
Around 40 pro-Israel supporters walked around the park during the rally. The pro-Israel counter-protesters, who mainly remained silent while waving Israeli flags, were accompanied by about 20 police officers on bicycles. Although tensions flared at times, there were no physical altercations.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised police and march organizers for a peaceful Sunday night protest calling for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and an end to the war in Gaza. Chicago police said two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting police and damaging property.
“Listen, it’s this simple. The Chicago Police Department is here to protect everyone in this city,” Snelling said. “What we will not tolerate is intimidation. We we will not tolerate violence.”
Protester issues include climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many agree that pressing for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the top message of the demonstrations. They have likened it to the Vietnam War of their generation.
Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other U.S. city, has been unable to escape comparisons to the infamous 1968 convention where police and anti-Vietnam War protesters violently clashed on live television.
Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution, and county courts said they would open more space in case of mass arrests. Chicago police say officers have undergone extensive training on constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics.
Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge sided with the city over an approximately 1-mile march route, which organizers argue isn't big enough for the expected crowds. Abudayyeh said the coalition would continue to push for a much longer route.
Not a single speaker or spectator showed up by early afternoon to a speakers’ stage offered by city officials near the United Center. Eight groups with progressive agendas had signed up for 45-minute speaking slots on Monday. On other days, some conservative groups, including the Illinois Policy Institute, have plans to speak.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.