CHICAGO — Chicago police arrested around 60 anti-Israel demonstrators on the second night of the Democratic National Convention — many from out of state — when an illegal march following a protest outside the Israeli consulate turned violent.
“Last night was a danger to our city, and a danger to our citizens in this city,” Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a press conference of the mass arrest order issued after de-escalation tactics failed Tuesday night.
“We were not the initiators of violence, but we responded to it. Our officers responded to it exactly the way they were trained to respond,” he said.
Scores of protesters, many of them shrouding their faces in keffiyeh scarves, burned flags and clashed with cops on city streets after ignoring orders to disperse.
They chanted slogans like “down with American imperialism” and “Killer Kamala, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?”
As protesters broke through scores of cops in riot gear near the Israeli Consulate, the mob chanted, “CPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same!”
Snelling said those arrested are facing a range of charges including disorderly conduct, obstruction, battery to police officers and “quite a few more.”
Of the approximately 60 people arrested, 22 were agitators who lived outside of Chicago, many of them from the West Coast, Snelling said.
One local protester, Mike Lehman, 50, held a sign reading, “Make Israel pay all its war-murder costs now.”
Asked what he would want the Democrats to do if they retain the White House in 2024, Lehman said, “Get tough.”
“They’re a s–thole country the size of Indiana and they’re telling us what to do?” he said about Israel.
Two arrestees were treated at an area hospital and released, one complaining of knee pain and another who sustained a finger injury.
Two CPD officers also sustained minor injuries, but refused medical attention “because they wanted to stay there and continue to work toward keeping the city safe,” Snelling beamed.
“I know everyone wants to believe we can de-escalate every situation and walk away fine. There are people for whom that is a nonstarter,” he said of the need for police to use “proportional” force to quell the percolating hostilities.
“We attempted to avoid the clash but to no avail. CPD Is not going to run away. We will not stand by and let our officers be attacked, because an officer who cannot protect themselves cannot protect this city. Enough is enough.”
Snelling singled out the pro-Israel counter-demonstrators, who he praised as “peaceful” and cooperative, and who vacated the area when requested by police without incident.
Besides lashing out in violence, Snelling said he was appalled by the frequency with which anti-Israel protesters spewed hateful, sexually charged comments at many of the female officers.
“The vicious, nasty, sexually explicit things said to those women were absolutely disgusting,” he said, saying he felt tremendous pride for the officers keeping their cool in the face of such revolting provocation.
“They stood their ground and did what they had to do. They didn’t overreact, they didn’t take the bait. They continued to fight in the way they were trained to respond.”
As for the expected rekindling of street protests on the third day of the DNC, Snelling insisted the department treats all groups legally exercising their First Amendment rights in exactly the same way, until they cross the line.
“We will not allow people to come to this city, disrespect it and destroy it,” Snelling said emphatically.
“We’re hoping people see that the CPD is prepared, ready, willing and able to defend this city.”
