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Chicago Police fortify fences after security breach on first day of DNC, 13 arrested

Aug 21, 2024 05:00 AM IST

Thirteen individuals were arrested on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

On the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, 13 individuals were arrested, including around 10 members of a small group of agitators who breached the outer security perimeter near the United Center, according to the Chicago Police Department.

Police on bikes ride by a section of newly reenforced fencing around the United Center at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(AP)
Police on bikes ride by a section of newly reenforced fencing around the United Center at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(AP)

The breach occurred during a larger protest march that remained mostly peaceful, with an estimated 3,500 demonstrators marching from Union Park to Park 578, located just north of the arena, before returning to Union Park.

The protest, which took place on Monday afternoon, was organized to show solidarity with Palestine, with activists demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling for an end to US funding to Israel.

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Agitators ‘breached the fence’ and started ‘marching’ inside the DNC

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said that, while the majority of the protesters were peaceful, a small fraction of “people broke off and started marching when that group of individuals stayed behind and breached the fence” surrounding the United Center at approximately 4:30 p.m.

“I’m not going to tie that event — what happened with the breach — to the entirety of that protest because within that protest, we had people who simply wanted to exercise their First Amendment rights,” Snelling said.

“It was a brief breach,” Snelling explained. He further noted that some individuals who made it past the first layer of fencing attempted to bring down a second barrier but were stopped by the police. Some of those who breached the fence threw water bottles and other objects at the police, while others in the crowd reportedly sprayed officers with pepper spray.

“We're not going to tolerate vandalism and violence in our city, and we're ready, willing, and able to respond to those things. So we're going to continue to protect the city,” he said.

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Chicago Police Superintendent takes pride how they handled the protestors

Snelling then added, “It does seem like the Chicago Police Department is being much more aggressive with protesters during the Democratic National Convention than what we've seen in the last several months.”

“I couldn't be more proud of how the Chicago Police Department responded under those circumstances. We put on display the training and the preparation that we've been engaged in for over a year now.”

In total, 13 arrests were made in connection with the DNC protests. Snelling indicated that about 10 of these arrests were directly related to the security breach, with the individuals facing charges such as trespassing, resisting and obstructing police, and aggravated battery of police officers.

“Our officers did not overreact. We were able to clear that area up really quickly,” Snelling added.

Security around the United Center has been reinforced to prevent further incidents. Crews were observed adding additional fencing to the perimeter on Tuesday morning.

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While U.S. Secret Service Democratic National Convention Coordinator Jeff Burnside said, “We take a multi-layered approach to all of our security measures, and we're constantly working with our state, local, and federal partners to evaluate, make improvements, make adjustments, and that's all we're doing.”

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