Activists Arrested at DNC Protest in Chicago Hospitalized Due to Police Violence and Denied Legal Representation
Protesters who were demonstrating against Israel’s war on Gaza outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago have reported injuries from police violence that required hospitalization. They also stated that they were denied access to attorneys or medication while in custody. The arrests took place on Monday, with 13 individuals being taken into custody, according to the National Lawyers Guild Chicago.
The majority of those arrested were participating in the main, permitted march that included approximately 3,500 protesters. Some protesters breached a security fence but were quickly pushed back. Two other individuals were arrested on Sunday during a separate rally for transgender rights and abortion rights. Charges filed against the protesters include criminal trespass, criminal damage to property, and reckless conduct.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who heads the department, stated in a press conference that charges also include resisting arrest, obstructing an officer, and aggravated battery of an officer. Snelling alleged that some protesters used pepper spray on officers but confirmed that no officers were injured during the demonstrations. However, two protesters were hospitalized due to injuries sustained during their arrests.
Matthew McLoughlin, who coordinates defense attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild, stated that force was used by officers on protesters in both cases where hospitalization was required. In another incident, a protester suffered a panic attack during an arrest and was later cuffed to a wall with tight restraints, causing severe swelling to her joints. Attorneys had to intervene to request that the cuffs be loosened.
Furthermore, one protester informed officers about a medical condition and the need for access to medications. Initially, police denied their requests to be transferred to a hospital to receive their medications. It was only after multiple complaints by attorneys that officers allowed for hospitalization.
The Chicago Police Department, in response to questions, directed to Snelling’s press conference from earlier in the day.
These incidents of police violence come after activists filed a lawsuit against Washington, D.C., police for beating them during protests against the war in Gaza at the Democratic National Committee headquarters last November. The lawsuit’s allegations of police brutality raised concerns about possible police violence in Chicago, where thousands of protesters are expected to take to the streets during the convention. The activists are marching to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the U.S. military aid to Israel.
Inside the convention, the war in Gaza has also been a topic of discussion among Democratic delegates. A group of “Uncommitted” delegates and over 150 Kamala Harris delegates have been pushing for the party to include an arms embargo on Israel in its platform and for Palestinian Americans to speak from the main stage. However, most speakers have ignored the issue, with only three mentioning it.
Outside the convention hall, officers pursued and targeted protesters who were leaving the area after dispersal orders, arresting them as they made their way to public transit or ride-share drivers. McLoughlin, who has provided legal aid to protesters in Chicago for the past seven years, noted an increase in law enforcement aggression during the DNC.
The show of force from the Chicago police has raised concerns about the suppression of free protests. McLoughlin believes that the large number of officers dispatched is meant to deter First Amendment speech. Chicago Police Superintendent Snelling, however, maintained that his officers responded appropriately and that being in the wrong place at the wrong time is indicative of engaging in criminal activity.
The Poor People’s Army, a group of low-income families, also held a peaceful rally on Monday. They marched toward the edge of the security perimeter along the United Center to make a citizen’s arrest of the Democratic Party for crimes against humanity. The group criticized the Biden administration’s funding and arming of Israel and its lack of response to the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. However, they were met by a large number of officers dressed in riot gear, and several arrests were made.
The incidents during the DNC protests highlight a larger pattern of law enforcement responses during National Security Events. McLoughlin believes that there is a significant investment in expanding police technology and aggressively policing protests to silence protesters before they even begin.
The experiences of the activists, including being denied legal representation and medical care, raise concerns about the treatment of protesters and the protection of their First Amendment rights. The incidents also shed light on the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the calls for a ceasefire and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.