CHICAGO — Chicago police said they arrested 56 protesters and three journalists during a chaotic clash near the Israeli consulate on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, which has drawn thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators to the city.
Several police officers have been injured in the confrontations, and police Supt. Larry Snelling is credited with helping to stop several other officers from being trampled by protesters. The journalists were detained for allegedly defying police orders.
Mr. Snelling bristled on Wednesday at what he called the “disgusting” behavior that protesters directed at female police officers.
“Our female officers — the vicious, nasty, sexually explicit things that were said to those women, absolutely disgusting,” he said.
“I have women in my family, and the anger that I felt,” he said, his voice trailing off. “But let me tell you, the pride I have in those women who dealt with that, took it, did not their cool, and the officers who didn’t lose theirs. Understand, these are human beings — somebody’s mother, daughter, sister, niece being spoken to in that way.”
The arrests on Tuesday night represented a significant escalation in the tensions during the DNC. On the first day of the convention on Monday, a handful of protesters were detained for knocking down a security fence near the convention site at the United Center.
Also on Wednesday, unidentified intruders deposited maggots on food at a breakfast meeting of DNC delegates at a hotel downtown.
Mr. Snelling said at least 22 of those arrested are not from Chicago and 14 declined to provide identification to officials. One person is charged with a felony, 47 people were cited for disorderly conduct for breaching the peace or failing to obey police, and twelve people were charged with misdemeanors.
The total number arrested on Tuesday was disputed by the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago, which said at least 72 people were arrested.
“We will not allow people to come to this city, disrespect it and destroy it,” Mr. Snelling said at a press conference. He added he will continue to stand with his officers.
Police took the demonstrators into custody near the Accenture Tower, the building where the consulate is located. Protesters burned the American flag and spray-painted anarchist symbols on private property.
When an officer said into a megaphone, “You are ordered to immediately disperse,” a woman at the front of the march shouted back with her own megaphone: “We’re not scared of you.”
Mr. Snelling said two protesters were injured during the confrontation with police and were treated at a hospital before being released back into police custody.
The demonstrators, Behind Enemy Lines, advertised Tuesday’s protest under the slogan of “Make it great like ’68,” referencing the anti-Vietnam War protests Chicago faced during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
The Washington Times learned that police officers suffered injuries including one officer who had a concussion and another who chipped a tooth and broke her wrist.
Mr. Snelling said demonstrators were moved to a makeshift courthouse to make an initial appearance.
March on DNC organizers said that the protests outside of the Israeli consulate were not affiliated with their coalition, but they did not denounce their tactics.
“The police do what the police do. They repress and they do not uphold people’s First Amendment rights,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, March on DNC spokesman.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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