Pro-Palestinian protesters march in Chicago on Day 1 of DNC

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.  

CBS News Chicago security expert Phil Andrew, formerly of the FBI, said the perimeter breach during protests at the Democratic National Convention Monday was handled swiftly and well, but could reflect an underlying problem.

"Obviously something went wrong in the planning that they didn't have those fencing fully secured. But this looks to be the work of opportunists, and now they're going to draw their attention to folks that are actually doing any kind of agitation around the fencing line," he said. "So I find this to be a very minor breach, and that the response was quick, resolute."

Andrew said despite the quick response, there are still security concerns.

"My take on this is that it was disorganized; that these weren't necessarily professional protesters. But I think that that threat will continue to exist," he said. "The most important thing is to remember, the vast majority of these folks are here to make their voices heard; to demonstrate their First Amendment rights—and there's a very few folks that are in these crowds that are coming here to agitate and actually break the law."

Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness, a D.C. delegate, said her bus to the convention at the United Center got stuck for hours due to the security breach associated with the protest.

"It was a challenging experience. Our major issue was when we got on the bus, frankly, we could not move, because were told that there was a breach; that the protesters had breached the fence," Holness said.

She was on the bus for two and a half hours before she and others onboard decided to get off and walk.

"There are those of us who are creative enough to know if there's nothing moving, you move," Holness said.

Holness said she began her journey on the bus around 4 p.m., and did not arrive until after 7 p.m.

As documented on social media, the atmosphere between protesters and police officers grew heated in Union Park. 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?"

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville), who represents parts of Chicago's southwest suburbs and exurbs, lauded President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' efforts to expand access to health care and get the country out of the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in her address on the first night of the DNC.

"Donald Trump failed us," she said. "But Joe Biden and Kamala Harris got [the pandemic] under control."'

About Trump, she added, "He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe. We can never let him be our president again."

Underwood, who is a registered nurse and the youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress, praised Harris' efforts to champion her legislation to address disproportionately high maternal mortality rates among Black women. She also highlighted the administration's efforts to expand healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

"We have come so far these past four years, and we're not going back!" Underwood said.

It was an emotional night for the DNC as attendees honor Jackson and his legacy in the civil rights movement. His son, Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-1st), will join him as he explains why the night is moving for him and his family. 

CBS Chicago Political Analyst Lori Lightfoot discusses security concerns and the plans set up in preparation for anticipated demonstrations during the DNC.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson took to the lectern Monday evening to welcome the delegates to the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

Invoking the city's history of political activism and storied figures from Ida B. Wells to former President Barack Obama, Johnson tied that legacy to the party's platform behind Vice President Kamala Harris, who will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president. Johnson argued she would advocate for working and middle class Americans.

"As the son of a family that worked to make ends meet, I know that Kamala Harris, the daughter of a mom who worked hard every single day, she is going to look out for the interests of everyday people," he said.

The mayor also referred to the historic nature of Harris' campaign as the first Black woman and Asian American woman to be the nominee of a major party.

"As a Black man raising a little Black girl on the West Side of Chicago, I know that my daughter Braedyn will see not only a reflection of herself in the White House but she will experience the deepest part of American values," he said. 

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 around 6 p.m., someone interrupted her, yelling repeatedly that "the police were agitators."

Back in Union Park, 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.

Contributing: Tara Molina, Jermont Terry

The Democratic National Convention Public Safety Joint Information Center issued a statement Monday evening, saying the inner security perimeter was never breached by the agitators earlier:

"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.

"The National Special Security Event plan employs a multi-layered approach. Each NSSE plan is unique and includes multiple layers. One of these redundancies include the outer perimeter fence, which was erected to prevent entry into the inner perimeter.

"The Chicago Police Department remains on-scene and is working to clear the area."

After the security fences were breached, protesters started throwing drinks and signs at police officers. A line of protesters was lined up facing a line of officers in riot gear as of 5:15 p.m.

U.S. Capitol police were also on the scene with riot shields, with police Supt. Larry Snelling and his top brass walking behind them.

Four people were seen being arrested.

"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 this time.

A source said the U.S. Secret Service briefly halted all private buses to the United Center, but the buses were later released.

Contributing: Charlie De Mar

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.

Officers with gas masks and riot gear then moved in. CBS News Chicago's security detail reported the people who breached the security fence were being detained.

It appeared the first breach had been secured by just after 5 p.m., but another fence was taken down soon afterward.

Police Supt. Larry Snelling was personally at the scene.

Contributing: Dave Savini

Many of them made their way to the United Center for the main events of the day. Some people dressed up in their best red, white, and blue while others we saw wearing sashes that said "Cowboy Kamala," paying tribute to the vice president and her walk-out song "Freedom" by Beyonce. Sabrina Franza has the story.

Just after 4:30 p.m., part of the security fence along the protest march route was knocked down, and some protesters began passing through the gap in the fence.

By that time, the official protest had moved away from Park 578, but a faction stayed behind and broke through the fence. This group made it through the first line of the perimeter and was trying to make it through the second fence, which would allow them access to the United Center.

They were heard chanting, "Whose streets? Our streets!"

This happened near Washington Boulevard and Wolcott Avenue, two blocks north of the United Center,, where the DNC is scheduled to begin shortly.

The Poor People's Army was also one of the many groups planning marches in Chicago during the first day of the Democratic National Convention. Organizers said their focus will be on raising awareness of homelessness across the country.

The group, known as The Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, said it won a permit to protest at the DNC back in February. Their plan was to march from Humboldt Park to the United Center on Monday. A map of the planned route showed the groups planning to march east on Division Street, then south on Western Avenue and then east on Madison Avenue with the intention to arrive on the sidewalk in front of the United Center, the group said.

President Joe Biden will deliver the keynote speech on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's nominee for the White House.

Political analyst Leslie Hairston, a former Chicago City Council member, believes Biden can help Harris' campaign by reminding voters of what he's done to help average Americans during his time in office.

"I think he's going to maybe stroll a little bit down memory lane. I am hoping that he will to remind the voters what he has accomplished these past four years, and that he will try to take us into the future, which will be Kamala Harris," she said.

But former Illinois Republican Party chair Pat Brady notes Biden and other notable Monday night speakers – Mayor Brandon Johnson and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – have low approval ratings, and risk hurting Harris' chances to win in November.

"All three of them up there, none of them poll over 40%. These are not popular people. I'm not saying that disparagingly, but the reality is that Joe Biden's not very popular, Hillary Clinton's not very popular in the states you need to win, nor is Brandon Johnson. So I think there is a risk of these people not looking forward and supporting the nominee," Brady said.

The former head of Chicago police talked about lessons learned from previous protests and what the public could see during the DNC outside the United Center. 

What appeared to be just shy of 10,000 people were seen on the march route—and the protest remained peaceful as it reached Park 578.

One man, Matthew Waterman, even came from Washington, D.C., to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

"The Democratic Party, and Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris over the past 10 months have provided the weapons and the funding and the diplomatic cover and the propaganda for a vicious genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza," said Waterman.

Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesman for the Coalition to March on the DNC, said he was impressed with the turnout and dedication of the crowd.

"I love the diversity of the crowd. I love the passion of the crowd. I'm really happy with the program, with all of these people from different communities, dealing with all of these different issues. I mean, how powerful is it—reproductive rights and women's rights and labor rights and immigrant rights and Black liberation? And all of them going up on stage and talking about their issues—talking about how the Democratic Party is taking them for granted as well—but also saying we're here to free Palestine," Abudayyeh said. "We're here to say stop U.S. aid to Israel. We're here to stop a war and stop a genocide. It's beautiful. It's powerful."

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Contributing: Dave Savini

Activity around the Loop was remarkably quiet on the first day of the Democratic National Convention. 

Around 2 p.m. on Monday, traffic along State Street was similar to what one might find on a weekend morning. 

The number of people walking in the Loop was also down from what is typical for a mid-August Monday afternoon. 

Workers who may typically be taking a mid-afternoon break were nearly non-existent. 

Areas around Macy's and Millennium Park saw far fewer tourists and families. Some of that could be attributed to students preparing to return for the school year, but foot traffic was minimal. 

The major protests and events surrounding the DNC are happening several miles to the west of The Loop, near the United Center. 

Traffic into the city on the Dan Ryan Expressway was very light on Monday afternoon. Traffic along DuSable Lake Shore Drive past McCormick Place, where some of the DNC events will be held, was moving freely. 

Police had blocked off the exit to McCormick Place along the Stevenson Expressway. Exits were also closed south of Solider Field and several dozen Streets and Sanitation trucks were stationed in a long line between Lake Shore Drive and the parking lot.

None of that affected traffic.   

As of 3 p.m., police bicycles were lined up along Washington Boulevard, and members of the news media were asked to get onto the sidewalk to make way for the protesters.

The protesters were making their way from Union Park westward on Washington Boulevard.

Before the march started, protesters in Union Park rallied for rights for immigrants, minorities, and women across the U.S. Ultimately, they want the U.S. to stop sending weapons to Israel, and they want an end to the deadly war in Gaza and self-determination for Palestine.

Hatem Abudayyeh, spokesman for the Coalition to March on the DNC, said he does not think the protesters can change everyone's minds. But he believes some people can be swayed.

"I don't have any expectation that we're going to win our demands in four days, but I will say there's a possibility that there could be a shift," Abudayyeh said. "One thing that could happen is we hear something different from Kamala than we've heard in previous months."

Earlier, independent presidential candidate Cornel West was in attendance as the protesters gathered in Union Park.

Several supporters of the coalition who are not part of any organization also turned out. They just wanted to be in Chicago to support the cause.

Contributing: Jessica Popowcer

President Biden walked off Air Force One at O'Hare airport at 2:48 p.m. on Monday. 

According to the travel pool report, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president "is continuing to fine-tune the speech" for tonight's DNC. She described him as in a "great mood" and in "great spirits," according to the pool report notes. 

Asked about the length of the president's speech, she said: "It's a surprise."

The crowd of protesters at Union Park continues to grow ahead of their planned 2 p.m. march toward the United Center.

Many protesters are holding Palestinian flags, with other people holding up caricatures of President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

The protesters represent more than 200 organizations from across the country.

At least a few thousand people have gathered to rally in Union Park ahead of a planned protest march on the DNC, in a show of solidarity with Palestine and calling for an end to U.S. funding to Israel.

Matthew Waterman, who came to Chicago from D.C., said protesters want to send a message to Democratic leaders, demanding their support for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to arms shipments to Israel.

"The Democratic Party, and [President] Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris over the last 10 months have provided the weapons, and the funding, and the diplomatic cover, and the propaganda for a vicious genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza," he said. "We will not vote for the Democrats if they do not stop selling weapons to Israel."

CBS News Chicago reporter Darius Johnson is at Union Park where hundreds of protestors, including several advocating for a cease-fire in Israel's war with Hamas, have been gathering Monday morning.

Those marching are members of the Coalition to March on the DNC, comprised of 270 organizations that stand with Palestine while calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, and an end of U.S. arms shipments to Israel. Organizers expect thousands to join their protest march on Monday afternoon.

Even before the official start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Monday, several messages could be seen projected onto Trump Tower along Wabash Avenue.

Among them: "Harris-Walz: Fighting for You," "Project 2025 HQ" and "Trump-Vance: 'Weird as Hell."

DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman issued a statement addressing the messages, saying "All eyes are on Chicago, and tonight, everyone is seeing a preview of the contrast that will take center stage this week throughout the Democratic National Convention. ... Donald Trump and JD Vance are running on their backwards Project 2025 agenda, which would undermine working families and take away their freedoms."

Several protest groups are gathering at Union Park on Monday, just blocks from the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, as part of a large protest in support of Palestine, and to call for an end of U.S. aid to Israel.

Those marching are members of the Coalition to March on the DNC, comprised of 270 organizations that stand with Palestine while calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end of U.S. arms shipments to Israel. Organizers expect thousands to join their protest march on Monday afternoon.

They were preparing to make their voices heard loud and clear during a rally at Union Park, just blocks from the united center, with an amplified speaker system and a stage, which they had to fight for after the city initially denied them permits for sound systems and a stage.

That rally is set to begin at noon, followed by march around 1:00 or 1:30 p.m. The goal is to get within sight and sound of the United Center. Another similar rally and march is set for Thursday evening, on the final night of the DNC.

DNC protesters started gathering in Union Park. The Coalition to March on the DNC held a press conference at 10 a.m. ahead of their first rally at noon. 

Darius Johnson will provide updates as planned protests continue on day one of the DNC. 

As delegates gather for a kickoff breakfast on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke to delegates from Michigan about how important of a role the Midwest plays in the upcoming election.

Former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos expects President Biden will start out the first night of the Democratic National Convention with a display of unity behind Vice President Kamala Harris, and to help introduce her to the American public.

Chicago's Democratic National Convention starts Monday with the theme "For the People." 

Stephen Maynard Caliendo, professor of political science at North Central College, joined Dana Kozlov and Audrina Sinclair at the United Center with a preview.

A protest was held without incident Sunday evening, and former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson says if other protests during the Democratic National Convention are similar, Chicago will be fine.

"From what I saw tonight, I think it's going to be a very exciting time for the city of Chicago. There's going to be work involved, and you always have to be concerned," Johnson said. "However, if things go like they did tonight, we should be fine."

A protest downtown ahead of the DNC ended before 10 p.m. Sunday. It remained peaceful throughout, with no arrests reported.

None of the buildings or businesses along Michigan Avenue were boarded up over concerns about civil unrest—though some downtown buildings have been boarded up preemptively.

First Lady Michelle Obama will speak at the Democratic National Convention this week.

She is expected to rally support in her hometown of Chicago for Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night. That is the same night her husband, former President Barack Obama, is set to speak.

Mrs. Obama joins a lineup of big-name Democrats who will take the stage at the DNC—beginning Monday with speeches from President Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Vice President Kamala Harris landed in Chicago at O'Hare International Airport around 7:45 p.m. The Illinois Democratic congressional delegation came to greet Harris.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Reps. Mike Quigley, Jan Schakowsky, Danny Davis, Bill Foster, Jonathan Jackson, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Brad Schneider, Sean Casten, Lauren Underwood, and Delia Ramirez were all spotted in the crowd.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias also turned out.

From the airport, Harris' motorcade made its way downtown to the vice president's hotel. The motorcade was spotted as it traveled west on Chicago Avenue and crossed Michigan Avenue into a heavily fenced-off and secured area.

There are a couple of high-end hotels within the perimeter.

Traffic on Michigan Avenue came to a complete stop for about 40 minutes Sunday night in preparation for the vice president. Chicago Police blocked intersections in both directions. Pedestrians were also unable to cross the Mag Mile at Chicago Avenue.

CBS News Chicago is told the vice president will receive private briefings Monday and conduct internal meetings during the day.

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While the focus at the start of a protest downtown Sunday evening was reproductive rights, advocates for the pro-Palestinian cause dominated the protest group as it took to marching.

By the time the group was ready to march, the crowd had grown to 500 people.

Former police Supt. Eddie Johnson said there is a concern that protests related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the War in Gaza are more likely to draw outside agitators.

The protest remained peaceful as it advanced, and Johnson earlier explained that police need to exercise discretion when it comes to how officers are sent out to respond to a protest. In the case of the Sunday evening protest, officers on bicycles have been on the scene rather than officers in riot gear.

"Here's the philosophy—so a crowd like this, you don't want to come in as the police and agitate them and show them a hard look right off the bat, because what you're signaling to them is that you're ready for a fight, and that's just not the case with this protest group here," Johnson said. "Sometimes, you'll get groups that come in that you know are going to be agitators, that you have to have to show up in the BDUs—the battle dress uniforms and the riot helmets. But a crowd like this—I think that they're playing it correctly."

With street closures and restrictions already in place at both the United Center and McCormick Place ahead of the Democratic National Convention, new security measures that went into effect this weekend have left parts of the downtown area in a state of lockdown.

Residents and businesses were still trying to navigate the new restrictions on Sunday, after large security fences went up along sidewalks in parts of the Loop, Gold Coast, and Magnificent Mile - with a handful of downtown streets also closed off.

Unlike those closures announced in advance around the United Center and McCormick Place, the new restrictions downtown were not formally announced until Saturday morning, after they were already in place, blindsiding many who live and work in the area.

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CBS News Chicago Political Analyst and former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Sunday that delegates have told her they are excited to come to the city for the Democratic National Convention.

"They're excited to be in our city, and those who have been here before are excited for the return visit, and I think the folks that haven't been here in a while are wowed by the splendor of the city of this time," she said.

In addition, Lightfoot said, the energy has changed compared with when President Biden was struggling as the presumptive nominee for another term.

"What I keep hearing from people is two things. One is feeling, I think, love for Joe Biden; sadness that it's come to this, but also appreciative of him stepping down. But the energy around Kamala Harris and now Gov. Walz—or 'Coach,' his folks are calling him—is really palpable. You can absolutely feel it."

Meanwhile, former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady said presumptive presidential nominee Harris has an opportunity at the convention.

"She can tell her life story and weave it into the American story, kind of like President Obama did when he ran successfully," he said.

But Brady warned that there will be a "street fight," with former President Donald Trump trying to attack Harris in any way possible.

Lightfoot said Trump is already doing just that, but credited Harris with not taking the bait.

"She is taking the high road," Lightfoot said. "She's responding, but brushing of the attacks, but pivoting towards a positive vision of hope for the future."

The protest Sunday is expected to be dwarfed by protests later in the week, notably the protest by the Coalition to March on the DNC on Monday. This protest and others during the convention will focus on the pro-Palestinian cause.

Former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said officers have received proper training for the worst-case scenario in a protest, and crucially, supervisors have also received proper training.

"The supervisors have to, you know, constantly monitor the skirmish lines to make sure the officers are in the right state of mind to be able to deal with protesters," Johnson said.

There have been concerns about whether officers have received proper training to protect protesters' First Amendment rights, or to distinguish peaceful protesters from those who might cause problems. But Johnson said he is confident that both officers and supervisors have received the proper training—in particular the supervisors who need to remove officers whose emotions might be getting too heated..

Johnson also expressed concern about "outside agitators" who might come to create chaos.

 A day ahead of the Democratic National Convention, protesters held a rally and march downtown late Sunday.

Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, a coalition of feminist and LGBTQ+ organizations held a rally on Wacker Drive just east of Michigan Avenue early Sunday evening. A march south on Michigan Avenue was to follow.

About 200 people were in attendance at the protest as of 5:30 p.m.—holding signs and in some instances Pride or Palestinian flags.

It was estimated that there were more police officers than protesters at that time. Police Supt. Larry Snelling was at the scene.

Officers were on bicycles at the scene, ensuring that everyone was kept safe and the crowd was kept together.

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On Sunday evening before the Democratic National Convention was set to begin in Chicago, the city threw a welcome party for the thousands of delegates at the Navy Pier Ballroom.

Security was tight at the ballroom at the easternmost end of Navy Pier—where a few thousand people are expected to meet for the first official gathering of the DNC delegates of this convention.

Delegates from Ohio said at the event that the Electoral College map is in such flux, they believe states that have become reliably red, like Ohio, could be in play after this DNC week.

"Ohio has been mis-thought of as a red state. We're a gerrymandered state," said Ohio delegate and state Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland). "We are at play, and we are here to let people know that we are going to do what it takes to make sure we win Ohio."

Delegates are being shuttled directly from their hotels to a receiving line at the end of Navy Pier to make it easy on them, and to make the first event of this eventful week a smooth one. 

Meanwhile, delegates from Illinois include everyone from the Rev. Jesse Jackson to Star Jones, and local mayors and faith leaders. The youngest delegate at the convention is a 19-year-old from the North Shore named Claire Satkiewicz.

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Charter buses for the Democratic National Convention shut down the Eisenhower Expressway off-ramp nearest the United Center Sunday afternoon—forcing anchors Joe Donlon and Irika Sargent, producer Rebecca McCann, and intern David Gold to leave a CBS News Chicago van behind and walk up the Damen Avenue off-ramp.

Preparations for the Democratic National Convention are in high gear, and on Saturday security measures surprisingly spilled over into neighborhoods nowhere near the United Center or McCormick Place.

At the Dirksen Federal Building in the Loop, security gates popped up overnight to prevent anyone from vandalizing the courthouse, while people living along the Magnificent Mile and Gold Coast discovered unexpected more security gates and road closures miles away from the DNC sites.

"They put this up like 5:30 in the morning. So they kind of did it under the wraps," Chris McClendon. "I live right over here at the Hancock Building. When I came outside, I had to go check the map to see what's going on. I thought this was at the United Center."

Along the Magnificent Mile near Chicago Avenue, roads have been blocked off, police officers are on standby, and large security gates have partially cut off access to sidewalks.

Chicagoans were fully aware of the security measures going on around the United Center and McCormick place for the DNC, but now communities nowhere near the convention locations are impacted too.

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A group of activists who advocate poverty-related issues set up camp on Saturday in Humboldt Park, ahead of a planned protest march during the Democratic National Convention to bring attention to homelessness in the United States.

Several members of the Poor People's Army had walked from Milwaukee to Chicago after the Republican National Convention, and said they didn't get a warm welcome when they arrived in Humboldt Park.

Setting up their camp on the corner of California and Division, members of the Poor's People Army say they got an unexpected response to their arrival in Humboldt Park after weeks on the road.

"Our first taste was not very good, being greeted by two busloads of police officers when we have little kids. That's not quite the way to greet or welcome anybody to the city of Chicago," Poor People's Army national organizer Cheri Honkala said.

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For Democrats, excitement has been building for weeks. Delegates, staff, and volunteers from around the country started to descend on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention on Saturday, two days before the big event kicks off.

It's fairly easy to spot some of the people in Chicago for the DNC, who are wearing special lanyards holding credentials and red-white-and-blue attire; but you also can spot them by their sheer numbers, because they are arriving by the busload.

Several buses dropped off dozens of people Saturday afternoon at the Marriott Marquis Chicago, one of the hotels closest to McCormick Place. Visitors said they can feel the DNC excitement already.

"I am really thrilled and excited. Yeah, I mean, I'm here for the convention. It is like a breath of fresh air. It's amazing. This is the first time I've ever volunteered, and I'm so motivated to do it over and over again," said Myrna Forbes, from Ossining, New York.

But the DNC also has caused some frustration for people who live close to the United Center with street closures and parking restrictions now in place.

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The City of Chicago has been preparing for an influx of migrants ahead of the Democratic National Convention—but are the promises being made by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to send more buses to Chicago really empty?

Officials think it might just be.

"We projected kind of a low flow of people coming in, to a very high, and then began to plan for that," said  Beatriz Ponce de León, Chicago's Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights. "At this moment, there's no evidence on the ground that there are new arrivals crossing the border ready to be sent to Chicago."

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Road closures are in place for the Democratic National Convention, security perimeters, and a protest march route are among the changes for which some Chicagoans have been forced to prepare as the event nears.

The closures are real, and are leaving an impact to those on the West Side near the United Center, and in the South Loop by McCormick Place.

No protests are planned near McCormick Place, road closures and security perimeters are still changing what day-to-day life looks like. Streets are fenced off and ready nearby in the South Loop for whatever or whoever tries to be disruptive.

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A group of pro-Palestinian activists planning a series of protest marches during the Democratic National Convention declared victory Friday after city officials agreed to allow them to set up a stage, sound systems, and portable toilets in a park near the United Center. 

The Coalition to March on the DNC had been granted permits to march from Union Park to Park 578 and back during the convention, but originally were not allowed to put up any stages or platforms, sound equipment, or portable toilets.

Accusing the city of blindsiding them with the restrictions, organizers on Thursday said they planned to ask a federal judge for an injunction on Friday to stop the city from enforcing those restrictions, accusing the city of violating their First Amendment rights. The coalition also accused the city of imposing those restrictions in an attempt to silence their protest against Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza. 

By Friday morning, the group withdrew their motion for an injunction, writing in a court filing that they had received "certain assurances" from the city. A hearing that had been set for Friday was later canceled, and organizers announced the city had agreed to let them set up a stage, sound system, and seven portable toilets in Union Park throughout the DNC.

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