Groups planning Chicago DNC protests continue talks with city over permits, locations
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Democratic National Convention is less than two months away and some pro-Palestinian and other groups are still fighting for a designated area to demonstrate close to the United Center.
Some groups have taken the City of Chicago to federal court after they were denied a permit to organize. There was a deal in the work between some protest groups and the city.
"The city has made another proposal, a different proposal that we see as positive," said attorney Chris Williams, representing the groups.
In a federal courtroom, attorneys for both the City of Chicago and for a coalition of protest groups planning to march on the DNC debated whether or not they would get permission to be within sight and sound of the president, vice president, and other Democratic leaders in Chicago in August.
They haven't reached a deal yet.
"We know that the feds don't want us protesting their party, but they need to offer some real explanation to us and the rest of the world," said Hatem Abudayyeh, the national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.
Abudayyeh and other groups are suing the city for denying their protest applications.
"The coalition to march on the DNC will host tens of thousands of protesters on Aug. 19," he said, referring to the first day of the convention.
Abudayyeh said they'll protest whether they are granted a permit or not, wherever they want.
"The attendees will be from all age groups, all races," said Abudayyeh.
Meanwhile, officials with the Republican Convention in Milwaukee, set to be held July 15-July 18, told CBS 2 they have not denied a single application, allowing protesters to be at two different locations right next to the hard security perimeter.
Records obtained via an open records request showed the City of Chicago denied all seven applications it received.
A city spokesperson said, "Applications were denied following review by multiple city departments to identify any potential conflicts, safety issues, and to assess the availability of resources needed to support the gathering."
It's not clear where the proposed alternative location, which has not been disclosed, is. Those involved in the negotiation said the area is too small for the group protesters are expecting.
"The length of the march, the size of the streets on which the marches would go are a concern," said Williams.
The protest groups want to know the names of those in charge of deciding who can protest at the DNC and where. Their attorney has asked to subpoena those names and the judge is supposed to decide on whether or not she will allow that in the next few days.
