The Windy City is preparing for protests during the upcoming Democratic National Convention, according to several reports.
According to The Washington Post, activists and city officials continue to disagree about how protests will go forward during the convention. Reportedly, they are expected to begin on Sunday and continue until it ends on Thursday evening.
Predictably, anti-Israel protesters are expected to show up in droves (via the Post):
The largest are expected Monday — by the Coalition to March on the DNC, which includes about 200 groups rallying in support of Gaza and myriad social issues — and Wednesday by the Coalition for Justice in Palestine. Organizers expect tens of thousands to attend these events.
By default, the Poor People’s Campaign also received a permit to march directly outside the United Center on Monday after city officials failed to meet a deadline to reject the group’s application.
Fox 32 Chicago reported that the city is “preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best” when it comes to the protests.
Late last month, the Circuit Court of Cook County issued a press release stating that it made “extensive preparations to handle an increased number of court proceedings in the event of multiple arrests during the period surrounding the Democratic National Convention (DNC).”
“We have been meeting for weeks with more than 50 people from county, city, state, and federal agencies to prepare for the possibility of multiple arrests. We want to make sure the police are able to focus on providing security and that the rights of arrested individuals are scrupulously respected,” Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said. “We thank our fellow government officials and our court staff for their continued cooperation in this important endeavor.”