Protestors clash with police amid rally outside Israeli Consulate on day 2 of DNC

CHICAGO — Protestors in the West Loop confronted police on Tuesday night during a demonstration outside the Israeli Consulate.

Tuesday night’s protests started with a pro-Palestinian rally, which was organized by several different groups, including the group Behind Enemy Lines.

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A counter-protest then began near South Canal Street and West Madison Street.

The two demonstrations had largely wrapped up by about 9 p.m. as officers were able to move people further north, away from West Madison Street, but a heavy police presence remained near the consulate.

Police could be seen in live video from the scene taking some people into custody around 7:40 p.m. as officers positioned themselves in a line near Accenture Tower.

Another group of about four people were seen in police custody around 8:50 p.m.

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Police have not confirmed the arrests and it is unclear why they were taken into custody.

Behind Enemy Lines, which describes itself as a pro-Palestinian and “anti-imperialist resistance” group, has made a concerted effort to hold demonstrations during the convention, hosting several “Shut Down the DNC for Gaza” events in the days and weeks leading up to the event.

Behind Enemy Lines shared a post on Instagram on July 18 that detailed the specifics of Tuesday afternoon’s protest and read “Make it great like ’68! Shut down the DNC for Gaza!” The tagline references the series of protests against the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War which were held during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

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Ahead of the protest, Metra announced that it would be closing the entrance to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, from Accenture Tower at 500 West Madison Street, on Tuesday evening.

Metra officials said Union Pacific commuters looking to board trains are advised to enter through the French Market doors one block north on Clinton Street.

Because of the protests, Amtrak Police have closed off access to Chicago Union Station from Madison Street.

Riders are advised to use the River, and Canal Street entrances to access the station

A spokesperson for the Consulate of Israel released the following statement following Tuesday’s demonstrations:

The first day of the DNC also saw protests inside and outside of the United Center.

Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Chicago’s West Side toward the United Center on Monday with a message for the DNC.

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The groups addressed issues like reproductive rights, racial equality, immigration and poverty but the primary focus of the demonstration was a protest against the Israeli-Palestinian war.

Demonstrators said they wanted their voices heard by the delegates and the Democratic leadership about their opposition to the war in Gaza and the aid going from the U.S. to Israel.

After marching from Union Park to another park closer to the United Center, a group of protestors broke through the barricade that made up a portion of the security barrier surrounding the arena.

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A second layer of security fencing blocked the protestors who managed to get through the first layer as officers looked on.

Officers quickly equipped riot gear and intervened.

Following the incident, officers said 13 people were taken into custody, adding that two officers were injured during the incident by protestors who breached security and assaulted them.

One of the protestors arrested was later charged with one felony count of aggravated battery of a peace officer.

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After Monday’s brief security breach, crews reinforced the perimeter around the United Center in preparation for the second day of the convention, adding a second layer of fencing, concrete barriers and brackets to bolster the fence’s integrity.

Organizers had predicted that a crowd of more than 20,000 protectors would gather for Monday’s march, but on Tuesday, CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling said about 3,500 people had gathered, adding that the majority of the protesters were peaceful.

Protests continued into the evening inside the arena on Monday, with a small group, some protesting delegates, displaying a banner that said “Stop Arming Israel” during President Biden’s speech.

More demonstrations are set to take place throughout the week.

After more than a year of planning, Chicago is at the center of the political spotlight this week as host of the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

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The convention runs through Thursday. Chicago has hosted Democrats 12 times, the last being nearly 30 years ago when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term.

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• Security Zones & Protest Plans: What we know

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• Chicago2024.com | Chicago’s DNC Website

• DemConvention.com | Democratic Convention Official Website

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