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Police and protesters clashed outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago on Tuesday, leading to arrests of pro-Palestinian demonstrators less than two miles from where Democrats had gathered to nominate Kamala Harris for president.
Police in riot gear confronted demonstrators protesting against the Israel-Hamas war, some wearing keffiyehs and burning Israeli flags, and were also joined by counter-protesters waving Israeli flags, sparking running scuffles near the city’s central business district.
Police declared the protest an illegal gathering and made arrests. The Chicago Police Department referred questions on the number of protesters arrested to the city government, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The city has been bracing for protests since Chicago was named as the host city for the convention nearly a year ago. About 2,500 Chicago police officers have undergone a 40-hour training in preparation, and city officials have promised to respect protesters’ civil rights.
Demonstrators have gathered in Chicago to denounce President Joe Biden’s support for the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has continued to receive American weapons despite international criticism of his country’s conduct in the war, which has left more than 40,000 Gazans dead.
Ahead of Tuesday’s clashes, activists marched on Sunday and Monday, and more marches and rallies are planned throughout the four-day convention.
City officials have sought to shake off the shadow of the Democratic convention in 1968, when Chicago police beat protesters who demonstrated against the Vietnam war.
Chicago has an history of police misconduct, which led to the city being placed under a court-ordered settlement known as a consent decree five years ago to improve its practices. The city’s inspector general released a report in May that was sceptical of whether the city was prepared to handle large-scale demonstrations.
An online flyer advertising the protest on Tuesday evening urged demonstrators to “Make it great like ’68! Shut down the DNC for Gaza”. The protest was organised by the leftist group Behind Enemy Lines.
“Whether it’s Genocide Joe, or Killer Kamala, the butchers of Gaza cannot be allowed to gather in Chicago undisturbed,” the group said on its website. “They’ll attempt to claim a mantle of democracy and progress, while the bones of Palestinians crunch beneath them . . . It’s up to us to shatter that image.”
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