Pro-Palestinian protesters hold final march on Chicago Democratic National Convention
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Thousands of protesters gathered once again at Union Park Thursday, before taking to the streets on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The Coalition to March on the DNC rallied before again marching on the DNC. They represent a number of organizations that fight for the rights and liberation of oppressed people and against the exploitation of workers.
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The fourth day of pro-Palestinian protests brought the largest crowd ABC7 saw so far this week. While there were one or two dust-ups between protesters and counter-protesters, there was no violence or aggression by protesters or police.
While the protest ended peacefully and almost everyone had left, a group of over dozen stragglers remained in the area of the park. One of those lingering protesters was arrested after 11 p.m. after refusing to clear out of an intersection.
The Coalition to March on the DNC are pro-Palestinian and want the U.S. to stop sending aid to Israel, but also demand money for jobs, school, health care, housing and the environment, as opposed to war. They call for immigrant rights and legalization for all undocumented workers, defending LGBTQ and reproductive rights and stopping police crimes.
The permitted, mostly peaceful and loud group of thousands that was roughly four-blocks long started again at Union Park before stepping off on Washington Park and looping through the West Side, past Park 578, up Damen and east to Lake, before returning to Union Park.
ABC7 did see two smoke bombs, one white and one green, let off at two different times along Lake, but it wasn't enough to provoke a police response from ABC7's vantage point.
There was celebrating, shouting and cheering at the corner of Ashland and Lake as the protest finally made its way back to Union Park Thursday night.
The massive crowds were flanked by an impressive show of police force. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling was at the head again Thursday with hundreds of officers, some with helmets and face shields, all holding the line.
For Chicago police, the last night of the DNC looked like the first, and the second and the third. Once again, CPD's strategy of containment and control was on display.
Police put their face shields down as thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters marched from one park to another and then back again. As could be seen each night of the Democratic convention, with differing protest organizations, officer's constructed a moving chute that demonstrators walked through. On some blocks, bike units lined up along the side of the road. On other blocks, there were simply rows of police all equipped with protective riot gear.
A military grade drone monitored protesters from above. A law enforcement source told the ABC7 I-Team the drone is part of the DNC's security package that is supervised by U.S. Secret Service.
From the air and on the ground, from city police to federal agencies, from heavily armed checkpoint officers to bomb sniffing dogs, the National Special Security Event has tapped the widest array of surveillance and inspection equipment available to law enforcement.
Rennie Mora, ATF-Denver Special Agent Canine Handler, told the I-Team he will consider the DNC a success when everyone goes home safe.
Some opposition groups were also seen at Union Park earlier in the day Thursday, going back and forth with pro-Palestinian protesters.
Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was spotted near Union Park Thursday, and a brief scuffle ensued when protesters confronted each other. He said he would be at the convention Thursday night.
Organizers of Thursday's rally said they're trying to ignore opposing groups, and want to send a peaceful message.
The groups have protested all week long throughout the city. Most have remained peaceful, but there was still a large police presence Thursday night.
On Monday, some protesters breached an outer perimeter fence near the DNC.
And, on Tuesday night, dozens were arrested after confronting police outside the Israeli Consulate downtown Chicago.
But, on Wednesday, Chicago police maintained their presence for a group of pro-Palestinian protesters that held a rally without a permit.
Officers still allowed them to march, and Snelling said no one was arrested or injured.
Some of the groups have safety marshals, who are there to deescalate situations.
Snelling thanked the group for that Thursday in a press conference, while the organizers say that's what they're trained to do.
"I can't say enough about the organizers who had their marshals moving along. And when somebody was getting out of control, they would step in and help and calm that down. So, just working in collaboration is very effective in getting that done," Snelling said.
On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he was proud of how the police have responded.
"We do not work with police; we don't need their safety," organizer Hatem Abudayyeh said.
Snelling said his officers are continuing to make game time decisions for all rallies, even those that have gone on without permits.
"Our law enforcement, under the direction of my superintendent, did exactly what the people of the globe expected them to. One: protect the First Amendment right because that fundamental to our Democracy and also make sure we are keeping them safe," Johnson said.
Earlier Thursday, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the cultural center at Randolph Street and Michigan Avenue.
Police worked with them, blocking off the road as needed to maintain peace.
Chicago police and the Secret Service appear intent on preventing a final wind-up by extremists and anarchists whose national stage will disappear after Thursday.
Bomb-detecting dog teams from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are back in place Thursday at UC vehicle checkpoints.
"Just want to make sure that the vehicles come into this checkpoint are obviously safe, that nothing that's going to get inside is driven is going to hurt anybody, or hurt local law enforcement here. So, we want to make sure that the car swept and allowed to be in this, just in a perimeter," Renny Moore said.
Because it would take only one overlooked vehicle or backpack to cause a catastrophe, everyone coming onto the UC campus is screened multiple times: even a neighborhood woman with her dog on a bicycle.
"Anything been found since day one of the convention? Not that I'm aware of. Right, I mean, it would be pretty bold to think that you could get something like that past one of these checkpoints. It's a lot of layers of security," Aaron Wheeler said.
At one checkpoint, arriving delegates have been getting an earful from protesters with bullhorns.
