Cops vow to avoid risk of disaster from DNC protesters converging on Chicago

Security is always tight at Chicago’s Accenture Tower, a skyscraper that connects to a downtown transportation hub and houses the Israeli consulate. This week will resemble a fortress.

Located less than two miles (3.2 kilometers) from where Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the Democratic National Convention, the tower is bracing for protests. Pro-Palestinian groups are planning a mass demonstration outside the building, urging supporters to “Shut down the DNC for Gaza!” and condemning Harris for her support of Israel in its war against Hamas.

The protests will now become a major test for Harris, who has been on the rise since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race amid concerns about his age and mental acuity. The tension between her demand for party unity and activists’ goal of disrupting the festivities is also putting Chicago’s security plans in the spotlight — and concerns from police and Democratic leaders about the risk of disruption and the images that – would present to the world.

Worries are exacerbated by memories of two events that shook Chicago: the Vietnam War protests that erupted into police brutality when the city hosted the 1968 Democratic convention, and the riots that spread across the city in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd.

“We’re not going to allow people to come here and destroy the city,” Chicago Police Commissioner Larry Snelling said this week. “The moment it starts, we will intervene. I won’t wait until it gets out of hand.”

The planned demonstration outside the Israeli consulate is just one part of a larger protest effort that activists say will bring thousands of people from across the country. While most pro-Palestinian protests in the US this year have been peaceful, there have been incidents of anti-Semitism and thousands of arrests, including at universities in Chicago.

Organizers of a march said the event would be inclusive and peaceful. They struck a deal with the city Friday that will allow protesters to use a stage, speaker system and portable restrooms in Union Park during demonstrations.

“Our protest is made up of the widest and most diverse audience, including children and the elderly, people of all physical abilities, people of all immigration statuses,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, the national president of the Palestinian Community Network USA and spokesman of the March. on the DNC.

Harris has tried to take a more sympathetic tone towards the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, but her continued support for Israel has angered activists.

“Kamala, Kamala you can’t hide! We will not vote for genocide,” a group of them shouted at a campaign rally in Detroit earlier this month. The visibly annoyed vice president replied, “You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say so. Otherwise, I’m talking.”

Read more: It will take $80 billion to rebuild a devastated Gaza

About 50,000 people come to Chicago during the week of the convention, expected to fill hotels, bars and restaurants. Plans include private events such as a party hosted by John Legend and a panel hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Selina Meyer in the HBO political satire. Veep.

There will also be speeches by Gov. Biden, Harris and Minnesota’s Tim Walz, her running mate, contrasting their Republican opponents: former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

As police prepare for the protests, Democratic officials planning the convention have reached out to uncommitted delegates representing voters who opposed Biden in the primaries, the New York Times reported. Most rejected the president’s support for what they saw as staunch support for Israel amid the mounting death toll in Gaza.

Ensuring the event runs smoothly will also be key for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who is often cited as having future presidential aspirations. It uses the convention to showcase the best of Chicago, even as the third-largest U.S. city—renowned for its architecture, vibrant music scene and deep-dish pizza—faces high-crime and retail vacancies on its elegant Magnificent Mile.

Police presence

In preparation for the Democratic convention, police studied the failures of 2020 and implemented improved training for about 2,500 officers. Chicago is also bringing in up to 500 out-of-town police officers who will be stationed around the convention. Some will come from Milwaukee, where Chicago sent officers last month to help with the Republican National Convention.

In Chicago, the clashes of 1968 were not confined to the streets, said Craig Sautter, who 56 years ago witnessed violence between demonstrators and police officers during the city’s longtime Democratic rally. There was also discord within the convention, said Sautter, who co-authored the book Inside the Wigwam: The Chicago Presidential Conventions 1860-1996.

That’s unlikely to happen this year, given that disagreement over the Vietnam War has been pervasive and this week’s convention is about party unity around Harris, he said.

“Inside the convention it will be calm,” said Sautter, who teaches a 1968 class at DePaul University in Chicago. “There could be some chaos outside.”

Protesters say they are being forced into action by civilian deaths in Gaza following Israel’s military offensive in the coastal enclave. The conflict erupted after Hamas fighters attacked the Jewish state on October 7, killing around 1,200 people. Israel’s retaliatory response killed an estimated 40,000 people, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

the best planners fought with the city over the details of their events. At Accenture Tower, Behind Enemy Lines, Palestine Action US and Samidoun: Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network called for a protest in front of the Israeli consulate for 19:00 on August 20.

Accenture itself is temporarily closing its Chicago office. The consulting firm did the same at its Milwaukee office during last month’s Republican convention, which took place just days after Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.

California-based KBS, which owns the Chicago building, has increased its security coverage there. It modified systems to restrict access to the office tower portion of the building, upgraded security cameras and limited dock access, said Luke Hamagiwa, building asset manager and senior vice president at KBS. Even food deliveries are being rerouted.

The Israeli consulate said it was “working diligently to promote the Midwest-Israel relationship” after the Oct. 7 attacks. A spokeswoman declined to provide hours and operations during the Democratic convention.

Corporate Precautions

Chicago has plenty of experience with big crowds. It has held more presidential conventions than any other city in the US. Just this month, the city hosted the Lollapalooza music festival, plus a massive air and water show that drew an estimated 1 million people to the shores of Lake Michigan. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour came last year for three nights of shows.

“You can control about 90-95 percent of the security issues you might have, and there’s always going to be 5 percent that are very difficult to control,” said Anne Caprara, Pritzker’s chief of staff. “That being said, for years we have hosted very large events with very large security concerns and have always done so successfully.”

Chicago businesses are taking precautions, not just for safety reasons, but also because they expect the road closures to snarl traffic in a city already affected by construction on a key freeway.

Kimberly-Clark Corp., Deere & Co., Conagra Brands Inc. and Kraft Heinz Co. allow or advise staff to work from home. The Chicago Public School system is delaying the start of the school year by about a week because of the convention.

The Shedd Aquarium, a popular cultural attraction, will be open during the DNC but plans to beef up security. The central business district known as the Loop will add volunteer patrols.

CME Group Inc., the largest U.S. derivatives exchange, and options powerhouse Cboe Global Markets Inc. they plan to keep their downtown trading platforms open, but may switch to electronic trading if necessary.

Economic impact

Despite the potential disruption from the protests, Chicago is looking for a boost for local businesses. The city’s tourism arm estimates an economic impact of $150 million to $200 million.

So far, the restaurants are disappointed. Weekday bookings are only about 14% higher than a year earlier, Tock data showed. Lettuce Entertain You, which has 50 restaurants in Chicago, predicts “a small impact” to its business, as the increase in out-of-town visitors will likely be offset by a decrease in locals staying home to work.

“This is not going to be the Lollapalooza of politics for local bars and restaurants,” said Pat Doerr, director of the Chicago Hospitality Business Association.

But the outlook for hotels is better. As of Aug. 5, occupancy for the convention’s four nights was up to 70 percent, according to CoStar, a real estate data provider. At the same time last year, those four nights trended about 40%.

Demand has improved because of excitement around a Harris-dominated convention, as opposed to a repeat Biden coronation, said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

“I’ve heard from several hotels that their phones have been ringing off the hook since Harris took the ticket,” he said.

Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.

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