Militant group Behind Enemy Lines on law enforcement radar after Chicago DNC incident

CHICAGO (WLS) -- After a joint threat assessment report this week described risks from groups seeking to disrupt the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago this month, the ABC 7 I-Team has identified one organization behind a physical disruption at a DNC event in May.

The leftist group "Behind Enemy Lines," describes itself as anti-imperialist, and it's members and supporters have demanded that Chicago cancel the DNC because of U.S. policies regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, and deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

With both the war in Gaza, and the DNC continuing, Behind Enemy Lines has vowed on its website to target Chicago police, politicians, delegates and media, to get its message across during the convention in less than two weeks.

A spokesperson for Behind Enemy Lines told the I-Team while it disagrees with the information included in the police threat assessment, "it's right to do everything possible to shut down the DNC."

The joint threat assessment, prepared by several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, and obtained by the I-Team earlier this week, states that law enforcement "remains concerned about the possibility of violent conflict occurring at otherwise lawful protest events or gatherings linked to the 2024 DNC."

One event cited in relation to these concerns took place on May 18, at a DNC volunteer recruitment event at the United Center.

Video of the incident, posted by Behind Enemy Lines on social media, shows protesters with a banner and microphone, calling the DNC a "criminal organization."

According to a Chicago police report obtained by the I-Team, officers said the offenders "grabbed a microphone" and "pushed" a DNC worker when United Center security "attempted to take down" the protesters, but they all "ran towards the exits, fleeing."

The police report referred to a few unnamed intruders but the video shows a larger group of gate crashers that day.

Chicago police told the I-Team earlier this week that the incident remained under investigation, but a police report states the investigation is currently "suspended."

Behind Enemy Lines disputed the threat assessment and police report's description of what occurred, saying it was "wrong in nearly every detail."

"A small group of members and supporters of Behind Enemy Lines entered the United Center during an open to the public summer volunteer event, and unfurled a banner in front of the DNC volunteer table, handed out literature and spoke to the crowd," a spokesperson wrote via email. "We did not 'flee' we were forcibly removed by United Center security."
The incident was of enough concern that it was cited in the threat assessment prepared by the FBI, Secret Service and Chicago police, citing the group's intent to cause "further disruption to the DNC."

According to the Behind Enemy Lines website, there are suggestions of violent tactics.

"Have you thrown down against the Chicago police yet?" the website asks, encouraging followers to take beatings and arrests during the DNC.

Behind Enemy Lines is the same group that unfurled a protest inside the Art Institute of Chicago last November, and an American flag was burned at one of their "Stop the DNC" rallies in March.

The group told the I-Team it believes the heightened number of law enforcement in Chicago is a greater threat to the public than its organized protests.

When the DNC starts, this isn't the only group that will be on law enforcement radar, and according to the Secret Service and FBI, it isn't the known organizations that may be most troublesome, rather the unidentified, lone wolf actors and domestic violent extremists are of top concern.

The DNC is scheduled to begin in 12 days.