CHICAGO – The city's 12,000 police officers say they're ready. The Secret Service says it's ready. Local leaders say they're ready. Residents? Maybe not so much.
An estimated 50,000 delegates, politicians and party activists are expected to attend this week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with possibly tens of thousands of demonstrators marching through the streets.
Unscalable tall steel fences, barricades and parked snow plows have already limited movement in key downtown areas, with helicopters buzzing overhead. Grumpy business owners are worrying about lost sales, and some residents and tourists say it all appears a bit overblown.
Tourist Kai Lei, 29, wondered aloud Saturday if all the precautions were necessary. A Great Falls, Montana, dentist visiting family, Lei said it all seemed excessive.
"I understand the security concerns and it’s for everybody’s safety, but it looks a bit barbaric,” Lei said.
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A violent backdrop
The convention is happening amid the Israel-Hamas war, and follows the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and mass-transit sabotage during the Paris Olympics. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday.
On Sunday evening, a small crowd of protesters waved flags as they marched several blocks down Michigan Avenue, at times outnumbered by police officers with bikes who hemmed the group in along one side of the divided street.
“Free, free, free Palestine,” the group chanted to the sound of banging drums and whistles, as curious tourists watched from the sidewalk. Other marchers carried signs supporting abortion access and LGBTQ+ rights.While Chicago is no stranger to street protests, the procession was the first formal demonstration of convention week.
In preparing for the convention, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has stood with Chicago police saying the city will not tolerate any chaos from protesters. Johnson, a former organizer for the city’s teachers union, rode into office on a wave of support from the very activists planning to protest the convention. Some top union officials have continued marching with the same groups planning to protest Democratic leaders.
"Let me be absolutely clear: The city of Chicago is ready to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention," John Robertson, the city's chief operating officer, said last week. "We are here in this moment to show that Chicago can shine. We are here to demonstrate that in this moment that we can host the most democratic of activities ... and to provide space and room for the full expression of our First and Fourth Amendment rights."
Chicago has hosted 25 nominating conventions since 1860 − the most of any city − but it is the 1968 Democratic convention that sticks in the memory of many activists. That year, protesters angry at the Vietnam War violently clashed with Chicago police and the Illinois National Guard, with hundreds of injuries.
This year, protest groups have been pushing Chicago officials for more space and time to march and demonstrate. They've argued in court the city is illegally limiting their constitutional rights. City officials required large groups to get permits to march, limited the marches to certain streets, and restricted their ability to use parks and other public spaces for rallies.
Officials aren't sure how many demonstrators will arrive, but initial permit requests suggest as many at 6,000 could march on Monday, according to court filings. Organizers expect closer to 10,000 just for that day.
Inside the Su Taqueria El Rey Del Taco shop on Saturday, West Loop neighborhood residents Maida Contreras and Jackie Martinez said they hoped the city was prepeared.
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"I've already told my family, 'don’t even think about coming over,'" Contreras said.
Both Contreras and Martinez say they worry about mayhem and destruction, recalling damage across the city during riots over George Floyd’s murder four years ago.
"I'm more aware this time around. That is what's so concerning about living so close" to the convention, Martinez said. "We want everything to remain contained and don't want to see anything violent or serious happen."
A smothering security blanket
Areas of the city locked down include Chicago Avenue near North Michigan Avenue's "Magnificent Mile," the city’s main shopping area, and the McCormick Place convention center. Dozens of officers on bikes, wearing lighted helmets, have been cruising after dark, causing many onlookers to reach for their camera phones.
Portions of the convention take place at the lakefront-area McCormick Place center, with major speeches from Harris, President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama scheduled for the United Center, 5 miles northwest.
Similar to the Republican National Convention held last month in Milwaukee, the Democratic convention is a "National Special Security Event," with the Secret Service in charge. That means significant road closures, vehicle searches and, closer to the event sites, TSA-style screenings.
The closures will also impact area businesses seeking to cash in. At Su Taqueria El Rey Del Taco, near the United Center, workers braced for a rush of conventioneers, and were even prepared to bike in if the car screenings take too long.
“We’re going to be open for business,” cashier Chris Garcia said. "We're excited and ready to go."
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How many protesters in Chicago?
Marches have been permitted for Sunday evening, most of the day Monday, and then again on Thursday, for groups ranging from the Coalition for Reproductive Justice and LGBTQ+ Liberation, to the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. The city has also established a "speaker platform" at a park a few blocks north of the United Center.
Experts say the Gaza-focused "March on the DNC 2024" will likely be the largest demonstration, with plans for marches on Monday and Thursday starting at Union Park, a few blocks northeast of the United Center. Cook County, home to Chicago, is also home to the country's biggest Palestinian American community.
"March on the DNC" organizers are pushing for the party to end the Israel-Hamas war, reduce mass incarceration and limit migrant deportations.
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Additional protests are expected.Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, a group that wants Democratic leaders to do more to protect LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights, planned to march Sunday evening on Michigan Avenue near where many delegates will be staying. Organizers expected 3,000 people.
A "March on the RNC" protest in Milwaukee last month was projected to draw 5,000 people, organizers said, but only 500 showed.
City officials say they are carefully balancing the rights of demonstrators with the need to maintain public safety, especially when it comes to the movement of fire trucks and ambulances. Police said they are prepared to arrest anyone blocking traffic, breaking windows, or damaging property.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling also reassured residents his officers will still patrol the city. Police from Milwaukee and other cities are helping provide security inside the convention.
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"It's not forgotten that we have a city to protect. It's not just around the venues covering the Democratic National Convention," Snelling said. "The Chicago Police Department will be in every single neighborhood protecting the neighborhoods."
Not taking any chances, some businesses will shutter during the convention. Among them are the two locations of the upscale Solo Salon in the West Loop neighborhood.
"A lot of our staff came to us and were worried about their cars being parked on the street, getting client cancellations, and our valet company didn't want to work because the city is closing a lot of streets," owner Kristine Singer said. "If we aren’t able to have the full capacity of our services, it just makes sense to listen to our team and make the right call that’s best for us."
Singer recalled the "scary violence” of 2020 and doesn’t want to risk losing her business of nearly 20 years. She was considering boarding up the storefronts at the 11th hour.
“In the long run, we’d rather be safe than sorry.”
