As the Democratic National Convention (DNC) draws near, slated for late August in Chicago, a wave of protest applications has been recorded.
According to NBC 5's Freedom of Information Act request, no less than eight distinct groups have filed for permits to demonstrate during the convention.
Among those who have applied for permits through the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), as reported by NBC 5, is Liz Rathburn from the Students for a Democratic Society at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Rathburn anticipates a significant turnout, stating, I dont think it is unreasonable to say 40,000 or even 50,000 people will be outside of the DNC.
However, concerns are mounting over the city's preparedness for such a large-scale event. Memories of the 1968 DNC convention, which was marked by violence and the controversial decision by then-Mayor Richard J. Daley to surround the convention site with barbed wire, still linger. The city is keen to avoid a repeat of such scenes.
In June, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Chicago released a report cautioning that the city and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) are ill-equipped to handle the expected protestors. This comes at a time when the city is grappling with a severe shortage of police officers.
During a public forum with the Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling acknowledged the department's staffing issues, saying, What were doing right now is making the best with the number of officers that we have. He further revealed, We are down. Were down close to 2,000 officers.
The OIG's recent report was a follow-up to the critical review of the CPD's mishandling of the George Floyd protests and riots in 2020. While it acknowledged some improvements since then, it warned of lingering major concerns.
Adding to the city's worries, radical pro-Hamas protestors have already pledged to disrupt the convention.
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