A protester gestures to others at a gap made in a perimeter fence near the United Center in Chicago, site of the Democratic National Convention, on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024. The police detained at least four protesters who had broken away from the main protest group and gone through one of the security perimeter gates. (Jon Cherry/The New York Times)
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Chicago was preparing for more protests on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, including a demonstration expected Tuesday evening outside the Consulate of Israel.
A large protest march Monday drew thousands of people, but fewer than organizers had expected. City officials said Tuesday that they had made 13 arrests since the demonstrations began, including a small group of people who tried to breach a security gate not far from the United Center where the convention is being held. Larry Snelling, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, said people had been arrested on charges including criminal trespass, resisting arrest and aggravated battery of the police.
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A group called Behind Enemy Lines was planning the demonstration at the consulate Tuesday night in opposition to U.S. support for Israel in the war in the Gaza Strip. In online promotions for the demonstration, the group called on protesters to “Make it great like ’68,” a reference to the 1968 Democratic convention held in Chicago that led to violent clashes between police and protesters.
Michael Boyte, a co-founder of the group, said last week that the activists he was organizing with had different goals than an earlier march that was held during the convention, which drew many liberal groups and branded itself as family friendly.
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“We’re not a pressure group on the Democrats,” Boyte said. “We’re trying to confront them, confront them for what they’ve been doing to the people of Gaza.”
Snelling said the city would not tolerate violence or vandalism in the city. Officers in riot gear were deployed to handle the protests at least twice Monday.
“You never know what to expect from a group like that,” he said of Tuesday night’s planned protest. “From the CPD aspect of it, we’re going to rely on our training, we’re going to stay focused on First Amendment protection, but we’re also going to make sure that we protect everyone in this city.”
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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Julie Bosman/Jon Cherry
c. 2024 The New York Times Company
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