Chicago's top cop says police are ready for next round of protests, this one at Israeli consulate

Arrests have been made, pepper spray has been used and anti-war activists have made their voices heard over the first days of the Democratic National Convention.

But since demonstrators and Democratic insiders began gathering in Chicago on Sunday, protests have largely remained peaceful and the festivities have faced few significant interruptions.

So far, police have tallied just 15 arrests stemming from the demonstrations. Meanwhile, the city’s police oversight agency has reported only three complaints against officers, who previously faced a flood of misconduct allegations during the response to the protests and unrest in the summer of 2020.

Through it all, Police Supt. Larry Snelling has remained on the front lines, guiding young cops while shaping the narrative around what could be a pivotal stretch of his long policing career.

“We’re not going to tolerate vandalism and violence in our city,” Snelling said on Tuesday, issuing a familiar warning. “And we’re ready, willing and able to respond to those things. So we’re going to continue to protect the city.”

The tensest moment came Monday evening near the United Center, where Vice President and White House hopeful Kamala Harris later made a surprise appearance during the first night of the convention.

Snelling said agitators who broke off from a protest against the war in Gaza breached fencing at the outer security perimeter. During a brief clash, protesters lobbed bottles and targeted cops with pepper spray, according to Snelling.

Two officers were hurt in the fray, the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police said. Snelling reported 13 arrests throughout Monday, in addition to the two protest-related arrests that were made a day earlier.

Police have provided details about 13 arrests, most of which resulted in misdemeanor charges or citations. Charges against two other people were pending Tuesday afternoon.

The most serious arrest happened during the standoff Monday near the United Center, where an undercover cop saw a 31-year-old man chuck a water bottle at another officer. The bottle missed, but the officer was hit with an “unknown liquid,” according to an arrest report.

Charged with a felony count of aggravated battery to a peace officer, the man was ordered to stay away from the convention hub and released from custody. Other arrestees face charges of damaging property, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and trespassing, records show.

On Tuesday, the police are expected to face a protest group that has invoked the riotous convention of 1968 and threatened to “shut down the DNC.” The group, Behind Enemy Lines, plans to protest at the Israeli consulate, 500 W. Madison St., at 7 p.m.

Sticking to his script, Snelling insisted to reporters that police are ready for the challenge.

“You never know what to expect from a group like that,” he said. “But what I can tell you is what I expect from our side, what I expect from our Chicago police officers who are going to be responding to that. And regardless to what they’re saying, from the CPD aspect of it, we’re going to rely on our training, we’re going to stay focused, stay focused on First Amendment protection.”

Snelling has repeatedly drawn a line between the larger group protesting the Israel-Hamas war and what he has framed as opportunistic trouble-makers.

It’s unclear how many people Tuesday’s demonstration could draw, but the larger group’s numbers have fallen far short of expectations. Snelling said roughly 3,500 people marched during the first major demonstration of the convention, much less than the group’s estimate of 25,000.

The police department’s response hasn’t gone off without a hitch, though. On Tuesday, the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers’ Guild decried officers’ “massive shows of force” and claimed two people were hospitalized after being arrested.

“The response by Chicago police to First Amendment-protected activity so far is extremely intimidating for people wanting to speak out at this crucial time,” said Amanda Yarusso, a member of the lawyers’ guild’s mass defense committee.

 Snelling dismissed those claims, saying the arrestees were hospitalized because they needed to be medicated. “Those police officers responded perfectly, and we’ve got body cam footage to prove it,” he said. They were not hospitalized for injuries.”