Protesters breach security fence at Democratic National Convention
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Protesters breached a security fence into the security perimeter for the Democratic National Convention Monday afternoon, and a standoff between protesters and officers at Union Park followed hours later.
At least said four people were arrested. That number could increase, and DNC officials said it will provide an update Tuesday morning.
The official protest had moved away from Park 578 by just after 4:30 p.m., but a faction stayed behind and broke through the fence at Washington Boulevard and Wolcott Avenue. The scene is about two blocks from the United Center.
This group made it through the first line of the perimeter, and was trying to make it through the second fence—which could allow them access to the United Center.
They were heard chanting, "Whose streets? Our streets!"
"They breached a fence. They got into the outer perimeter" said Chiacgo Police Supt. Larry Snelling. "They were trying to get into the perimeter. They were shaking the fence on the other side."
Just after Tara Molina was finishing up a live shot for CBS News Chicago, protesters began lining up behind her and began shaking the security fences. The barrier came down and started crawling through. Once people started crossing, police quickly moved in—and the tone of the protest changed dramatically.
Protesters surrounded CBS News Chicago's cameras—trying to block them using their signs, as they were unhappy with their actions being captured on video.
After the security fences were breached, protesters started throwing bottles and signs at police officers.
Officers with gas masks and riot gear moved and remained at the scene by 5:15 p.m. Earlier, officers loaded up what appeared to be pepper balls—which are used to disperse crowds.
U.S. Capitol Police officers were also on the scene with riot shields, with Supt. Snelling and his top brass walking behind them.
"Our job here is to make sure that we keep the DNC safe, keep our city safe, and keep our people safe. We have no idea what they would have done if they had gotten onto the other side," Snelling said. "But as I said before, we're not going to tolerate anyone who is going to vandalize things in our city. We're not going to tolerate anyone who is going to commit acts of violence."
Only about 100 people were part of the faction involved in the security breach. The vast majority of people involved in the protest were peaceful and had left the scene by the time the breach happened.
A source said the U.S. Secret Service briefly halted all private buses to the United Center, but the buses were later released.
By 6 p.m., police in riot gear had cleared Park 578, and officers were fixing the security fences. Officers were also standing guard waiting for the last few protesters to leave.
Meanwhile, when Tara Molina began reporting on the agitators who were involved in the breach, someone interrupted her, yelling repeatedly that "the police were agitators."
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was asked about the breach, which occurred shortly before speeches began at the United Center.
"There was a breach of one of the fences—but it was brief, that breach, and the police stepped in and did a great job," Pritzker told CNN. "We've got people who are concerned about war in the Middle East. They're expressing themselves. We're going to protect their right to express themselves. But we're not going to stand for any mayhem."
Back in Union Park early Monday evening, a couple thousand protesters returned after the march was complete. Some protesters said they ran into many agitators who tried to disrupt the main march throughout the route.
The Democratic National Convention Public Safety Joint Information Center said the inner security perimeter was never breached:
"Demonstrators breached a portion of anti-scale fencing along the Democratic National Convention's outer perimeter near the United Center on Aug. 19. Law enforcement personnel were immediately on-scene and contained the situation. At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees.
Tension between protesters and officers persisted after the security breach area was cleared.
As documented on social media, the atmosphere between protesters and police officers grew heated in Union Park during the 7 p.m. hour. Posts on X, formerly Twitter, indicated that officers---some of them in riot gear—gave a dispersal order for the park.
The social media posts showed that some of the protesters had set up tents in the park, in an echo of the pro-Palestinian campus protests at university campuses around the country this past spring. Such encampments were set up locally at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and DePaul University.
Messages were spray-painted on a wooden fence alongside the tents.
Video taken subsequently showed the tents being taken down as confrontations persisted.
A Chicago Police supervisor was seen on video explaining that the time for which the protesters had had a permit had expired—and yet they had started setting up sound equipment. Some protesters argued they should not require a permit—with one saying, "What about civil disobedience?"
The park was later cleared, though police remained on the scene for sometime afterward.
Meanwhile, at least three people who had been arrested during the protest march were released from the Belmont Area Police Headquarters, 2452 W. Belmont Ave., late Monday night.
They all said they had nothing to do with knocking down the security fences, and said their arrests were wrongful.
"I will go every single day. This is my right to protest. So I have nothing to hide," said one of the men, Tariq Rimawi said. "This is legal, and what I'm doing is legal, and my arrest was illegal."
Chicago Police will formally confirm the number of arrests at a briefing Tuesday morning.