Another mass march, a delegate sit-in, and a noise demo keep things lively in Chicago on Day 3 of the DNC

Protest marches continue

A police chopper hovered over the rally at Union Park on Wednesday, August 22, filming the thousands who had gathered to protest the DNC and calling for an end to US aid to Israel. It was flying so low, the noise often drowned out the speakers and made the scores of Palestinian flags flutter. The two hour program featured local activists and organizers, and national leaders, including presidential candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West. 

Aside from the helicopter, the police presence was smaller than at events earlier in the week, although the crowd was large and organizers didn’t get a permit. That may have been because the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine hosted the event. They are local, police are familiar with them, and they had recruited dozens of volunteers to serve as parade marshals. Amira Daoud, a member of American Muslims for Palestine, one of the organizations comprising the Chicago Coalition, explained to ABC news why the Coalition was determined to avoid violence:

“Our whole point is to end hate and end violence, and anyone who’s coming with intention to do that is not part of us. We are here peacefully protesting; we’ve been doing it for 10 months, and we’ve been doing it for years. We don’t stand for that.”

As the march stepped off at about 6 pm, police brass, including Superintendent Snelling, were there to ensure that the march proceeded along the approved route. Unlike at previous marches, bike cops lined only one side of the street, so protesters weren’t quite as hemmed in. But when they arrived at Park 578 (the only place along the route that would allow protesters to come within sight and sound of the United Center), bike cops formed a barricade to prevent the march from entering the park. On Monday, some protesters breached a fence in the park and got into the security perimeter, embarrassing the police and Secret Service. March organizers chose not to challenge the exclusion from the park.

The march proceeded toward the Damen L station, police tried to prevent photojournalists and videographers from gaining access to the platform (which provided an excellent vantage point to photograph the march passing underneath). Eventually, photographers were allowed to take their pictures, but police decided to detain two women in keffiyehs for unknown and likely unjust cause. Members of the Coalition stepped in to secure their release. No one was arrested. At another L stop along the march route, a single protester waving a Palestinian flag tried to enter the station but was stopped by police. According to some news reports, there was some shoving involved, but marshals stepped in and de-escalated the situation.

Sit-In at the Convention

Although most protesters are not allowed into the United Center, a group of delegates from the Uncommitted Movement are making their voices heard inside the convention. Democratic primary voters sent about 30 delegates from the uncommitted movement – meant to express opposition to Biden’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza – to the convention. They have asked for a Palestinian speaker, but have been denied. These delegates and their supporters began a sit-in outside the United Center yesterday evening, and are still there today, hoping Harris will give them just a moment on stage. 

Noise Demo

In the wee hours of the morning on August 22, a couple dozen protesters held a noise demonstration close to the hotel where Kamala Harris is staying. A robust police presence slowly pushed the demonstrators away from the hotel, located off Michigan Avenue in the “Gold Coast” area. One activist told Unicorn Riot that a few protesters were arrested, but we haven’t been able to confirm that. At the CPD morning briefing the morning, Superintendent Snelling called the protest “uneventful” indicating there may not have been any arrests. The protesters were pushed south along the sidewalk several blocks toward the less pricey district, where they eventually dispersed. 

Arrests and Stay Away Orders

There will be another rally and march tonight hosted by the Coalition to March on the DNC that will follow the same route as previous marches. But several protesters won’t be allowed to join. Many who have been arrested over the past days have been given stay away orders stipulating they can’t go near the parade route. We question the constitutionality of these stay away orders which impose a punishment on people who have not been convicted of a crime. 

We’ll be at the protest tonight, to keep an eye on the CPD and report back to you. We are heartened by the determination of activists to bring their message to the streets, despite an overwhelming and often intimidating police presence. Check out our reporting from the past four days here and here, and keep an eye on our X/Twitter for livestreams as events unfold.