Crews add new fencing around United Center after breach during DNC; 13 arrested in protests
Those arrested range in age from 22 to 70
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Security remains a top priority at the Democratic National Convention, after a fence outside the United Center was breached Monday.
Just as delegates were arriving at the United Center, some protesters breached the outer security fence.
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Early Tuesday morning, once delegates and dignitaries had left for the night, crews went to work outside the arena to reinforce the DNC security perimeter.
A group of protesters breached the security fencing, even before the gavel fell on the first day proceedings.
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Whole sections of snap-together iron fencing were taken down, and, in some cases, dragged away by protesters.
Chicago police broke out the riot gear, and swarmed the frenzied scene within minutes of the breach.
"We had officers who had objects thrown at them," Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said. "We had people who sprayed our officers with pepper spray. They stayed controlled, and they handled the situation."
As of Tuesday afternoon, 13 people had been arrested. Eleven have been charged in DNC-related protests. Most are from the Chicago area.
At least 10 of those arrested were connected to the fence breach, Snelling said.
They face aggravated battery of a peace officer, criminal trespassing, disorderly conduct or resisting charges, and range in age from 22 to 70.
At least two of the people arrested already faced a judge, and were released on the condition that they stay away from the DNC perimeter.
Thousands had marched from Union Park to Park 578 to demand action on a number of issues, including the Israel-Hamas war, in what was a mostly peaceful protest.
"What I don't want to do is associate everything that happened, the fencing was breached, with the entirety of that march. Because, there were people who exercised their First Amendment rights, did not commit any crimes, and they marched away from here," Superintendent Snelling said. "What we saw yesterday was not a peaceful protest at that location where the fence was breached. The people who decided that they wanted to commit crimes and vandalism stayed behind."
Snelling had a front-row seat to his department's response.
"Our focus for the march was having a march on the DNC, and we did that," Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression spokesperson Faayani Aboma Mijana said. "We marched within the sight and sound of the United Center. We protested the genocide, and we don't control everyone. But, at the same time, we are talking about a fence, when there is a genocide happening."
The Chicago Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild in a statement characterized the response by Chicago police as "aggressive, and at times, violent."
"I can tell you this right now: The officers could have used more force in situations yesterday than they actually did, and those officers showed great restraint. So, we're always going to have opposition to our response. There are people out there who don't believe we should even exist," Snelling said.
Tuesday morning, crews added an extra layer of those steel cages, more concrete K-rails/jersey barriers and screwed in steel brackets to doubly protect the perimeter and prevent barriers from being lifted off their hinges.
Secret Service officials in Washington told the I-Team that the outside perimeter fence was their responsibility, and that the design was intentional, not a mistake by the government contractor.
"It probably should have been more secure. With some of these festivals, they bolt the fences together, so they're actually sometimes more secure," retired CPD Lt. John Garrido said.
In the daylight, crews also installed a camera high up on the corner streetlight overlooking where the breach happened.
Another big concern Tuesday night is a protest planned outside the Israeli Consulate, roughly 2 miles from the United Center. That protest is not permitted by the city.
"We'll assess the situation as it goes along, and we'll be able to move any type of resources or assets that we need to make sure that we keep that situation under wraps. We are prepared," Snelling said.
Residents contend with street closures
More intermittent street closures are happening in the city's Gold Coast neighborhood.
For some, like suburbanite Nicholas Alexander, Tuesday's street closures are almost too much.
"It's been a little brutal," Alexander said. "I've been coming into the city to help my grandmother out, who is a home healthcare nurse, and it seems like every street is either cut off or closed because of the convention."
With the Democratic National Convention only in its second day, it's already been tough for some to get around the city of Chicago.
While that's made for a relatively quiet downtown, numerous street closures are popping up in other neighborhoods.
In the Gold Coast neighborhood there have intermittent street closures on Delaware Place from State to Rush streets, Rush from Delaware to Walton Street, Walton from State to Rush, and State from Delaware to Walton.
"It's crazy," resident Miya Dubin said. "I walked the dog around the neighborhood here on Oak Street and State, and I woke up this morning and I'm like 'Where are we?' There's like gates and walls everywhere."
Some area businesses are hoping to capitalize on the increased foot traffic as the 2024 DNC brings some 50,000 visitors to town.
Local Dan McGinnis is excited about the prospect of seeing someone famous.
"I haven't seen any people yet, but I did see the vice president's motorcade parked waiting for her whenever she decides to do her travels today, so it was pretty cool," McGinnis said.
It's expected that the street closures won't last any more than a few days, and it's unclear what the impact will be on area businesses.
