Crime & Law
72 People Have Been Arrested Related to First Amendment Activities During the DNC, Including 3 Journalists
Protesters march in support of Palestine and ending U.S. aid to Israel on Aug. 21, 2024. (Nicole Cardos / WTTW News)
As the Democratic National Convention continues for a fourth and final day, there have been a total of 72 arrests related to First Amendment activities since Monday, according to the DNC 2024 Joint Information Center.
That number includes three journalists who were issued citations after a protest on Tuesday.
No arrests were made during Wednesday’s protest at Union Park, though there were some “dust-ups,” said Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling during a Thursday press briefing.
The Wednesday protest drew more than 2,000 pro-Palestinian protesters to Union Park for a march toward the United Center, where the DNC is being held.
As protesters marched underneath the Damen station on the CTA Green Line, officers were seen bringing a person to the ground on the platform above. The person eventually left through the station’s emergency exit accompanied by officers but was not in handcuffs.
Snelling said the protest on Wednesday, which he described as “peaceful,” differed from events that took place the day prior. On Tuesday, 56 people were arrested following a clash outside the Israeli consulate in the Loop between police and protesters who were calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.
Three journalists were cited as a result of that Tuesday protest.
Josh Pacheco and Sinna Nasseri were cited with disorderly conduct for breach of peace, and Olga Federova was cited with disorderly conduct for failure to obey a police order.
At Wednesday’s press conference, Supt. Larry Snelling addressed the arrests.
“We have journalists. We want to allow you to do your jobs. But there are times when we're calling a mass arrest or we're attempting to move in, we need you guys to step to the side,” Snelling said. “If you don't do that, it's obstructing us and it makes it hard for us to take the people into custody.”
Federova documented her time in custody on her Instagram page.
Being in collaboration with organizers was what made a difference at Wednesday’s protest, according to Snelling.
“I can’t say enough about the organizers, we had their marshals moving along and when someone was getting out of control, they would step in and help calm that down,” Snelling said Thursday. “Working in collaboration was very effective in getting that done.”
A rally and march for Palestine led by March on the DNC, a coalition of over 200 organizations, is expected to begin at 5 p.m. at Union Park on Thursday. The coalition’s main demand is to end U.S. aid to Israel, organizers said.
