Protesters march through the Loop on eve of Chicago DNC in first permitted demonstration

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The first of two permitted demonstrations is happening on Sunday afternoon in the Loop.

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It was a protest that lasted more than 3.5 hours as ABC7 saw the massive crowd take over the Loop. It remained peaceful as they marched to Grant park. Protesters used the march as an opportunity to send a message on the eve of the DNC. They said it's time for less talking and more action from their politicians.

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Several different activist groups came together as a united front, demanding action on reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and an end to the Israel-Hamas war.

"When we talk about justice, we're talking about justice for everybody and we're talking about real actions for everybody, and not just, you know, some empty words here and there, but policy, material reality and not ideologies," said Nour Odeh with Code Pink.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Chicago on Sunday for the Democratic National Convention.

Protesters gathered near Michigan and Wacker. Chopper 7 was over the scene, and demonstrators began their march around 6:30 p.m.

The permitted protest took demonstrators along South Michigan Avenue to the Logan Statue by East 9th Street into Grant Park. The demonstration was about 1.5 miles from their starting point. There were rolling street closures in the southbound lanes of various streets in downtown from East Illinois Street to East Roosevelt Road, officials told ABC7.

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Traffic sat at a standstill for most of the evening on Michigan Avenue, with spectators on sidewalks taking in the scene.

The downtown protest was called the March for Bodies Outside Unjust Laws. Demonstrators said they were protesting the Democratic Party's failure to live up to its rhetoric in favor of reproductive and LGBTQ rights. They rallied along with those calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza.

"There's so many aspects to be able to raise children and to decide not to have children that the Democrats could do a lot better on," said Anne Rumberger with Chicago for Abortion Rights and Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws.

Pro-Palestinian voices both inside and outside the Democratic National Convention plan to make sure their complaints are heard at this week's gathering in Chicago. In addition to the tens of thousands who plan to protest near the site, 30 delegates elected to represent the "uncommitted" movement will be inside the convention advocating an anti-war agenda. They will not endorse Harris without assurances that her administration will embrace an arms embargo on Israel.

""She's not going to take a legitimate stance, so until we can have Kamala Harris actually come to the table and make a legitimate concession actually make a legitimate push to get the Arab and Muslim vote, you can't just say appreciate things and high level abstracts in order to get our vote," a pro-Palestinian protester named Nael said.

According to a source familiar the matter, Harris-Walz campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, as well as other top campaign officials, met with local Arab American and Jewish American leaders in Michigan this past week, including Deputy Wayne County Executive Assad Turfe. He described the meeting as "incredibly productive," noting that "these meetings underscored the Harris team's commitment to ensuring that our community has a meaningful seat at the table."

March on DNC, the group leading multiple organizations in the protests, said it has not been swayed by Vice President Kamala Harris' rise to the top of the Democratic ticket. The group, which adamantly disagreed with President Joe Biden's handling of the U.S. response to the war against Hamas in Gaza -- and the deaths of Palestinian civilians -- sees Harris' and Biden's rhetoric as one and the same.

"We very much are welcoming people to express their right to freedom of speech and in fact, there will be an area that protesters can be in to express themselves," Senator Tammy Duckworth said. "We even created a march route, a parade route so that people can actually mount protest marches if that's what they want to do."

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CPD Supt. Larry Snelling gave a thumbs up to his sizable bike patrol assigned to the first major protest of the DNC.

This operation offered a glimpse of what the police strategy is likely to be for keeping order at the permitted protests: Flood the protest route with should-to-shoulder patrol officers and bike units, protect property on both sides of downtown streets, and roll out columns of city Streets and San snow plows as back-up for traffic and crowd control.
No riot gear was in sight on this Sunday, although as with all crowd events, police assets are not always visible.

"We want people to exercise their First Amendment rights. We will protect them while they're doing it, but we will not guarantee someone that we're not going to make arrests if they start to act violently or commit crimes," Snelling said.

A few businesses in downtown Chicago sported plywood facades as their own apparent insurance against vandals and possible looters. However, most retail and business outlets on Michigan Avenue have not boarded up on Sunday night, but are receiving an extraordinary protection by Chicago police. Officers lined both sides of Michigan Avenue before, during and after the first DNC protest.

The next permitted protest is scheduled for Monday near the United Center. Protestors will march from Union Park to Park 578 just a couple blocks north of the United Center.

Organizers said they are now allowed to set up a stage and sound system at Park 578, which is within sight and sound of the thousands of attendees at the United Center.

On Tuesday, the protest groups will also hold a memorial outside the United Center for the both Palestinians and Israelis who have been killed since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. A spokesperson told ABC News they see it as an "opportunity to get a moment of mourning for all the people who have been impacted by this past years violence."

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The 2024 Democratic Convention comes to Chicago from Monday, Aug. 19 to Thursday, Aug. 22 at the United Center and McCormick Place.

ABC News' Gabriella Abdul-Hakim contributed to this report.