The Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago on Monday, and the city has been bracing for violence and riots. Businesses started boarding up their windows and doors last week due to the many thousands of antisemitic, pro-Palestinian protesters expected to descend on the area organized by more than 200 different groups. Some are saying it could be reminiscent of the violence that plagued the 1968 DNC, which was also in Chicago.
Chicago law enforcement dismisses that idea.
"Chicago 2024 won’t be like Chicago 1968. That is the promise of law-enforcement officials and protest organizers alike as the curtain prepares to lift on this year’s Democratic National Convention," the Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend. "Each side says it aims to maintain the peace even as thousands are expected to demonstrate against the war in Gaza, abortion restrictions and on other hotly contested issues."
That may just be wishful thinking. According to some reports on social media, more than 1,000 officers are calling in sick.
A few more CPD hit medical today. The number now on the list exceeds 1,000 officers.
— Chicago Contrarian (@ChicagoContrar1) August 17, 2024
New to the list is Cmdr. Yakimba Phillips, who is the boss in CPD's 2nd District.
We're told Cmdr. Phillips is claiming "PTSD."
Over 1,000 Chicago Police officers have reportedly gone to medical over the weekend, including Commander Yakimba Phillips (claiming PTSD), who is the boss of Chicago Police’s 2nd District.
— 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑠 (@chiIIum) August 18, 2024
The intelligence gathered so far is solid is good enough that over a 1,000 Chicago PD officers have already called off sick. https://t.co/gIvmlJ09zU
— Ben Ruston Jr (@BenRuston1) August 18, 2024
While we cannot independently verify this, it makes perfect sense. In light of recent history, who in the police department wants to put their lives on the line for these people?
Meanwhile, Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) says that 150 members of the Illinois National Guard are "on standby" for the DNC.
Related: Expert Warns of Potential Riots, Chaos at Democrat Convention
“They are really on standby,” Pritzker said. “They are at the perimeter. Nobody expects that we’ll have to use them for anything very serious. We also want to make sure we have additional law enforcement type folks who are in uniform, and who are trained to be police available.”
Obviously, we hope that there won't be violence and no one gets hurt, but the signs of pending chaos have been there for months. If more than a thousand police officers have called in sick, they're going to be severely outmanned, and that's a recipe for disaster.
Protesters have already disrupted a delegate party on Sunday night and warned delegates, “Welcome to hell week.”
Protesters couldn’t wait to confront prominent Democrats over the war in Gaza as hundreds flooded the streets and vowed to “bring the war home,” according to footage across social media.
Demonstrations are expected to happen throughout the week as national Dems celebrate the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, 60.
At one point, protesters targeted a delegate party at Navy Pier where one rabble-rouser reached the stage, grabbed the microphone and accused the crowd of “funding a genocide,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The Harris-Biden administration keeps sending money to Israel,” the protester said before getting dragged off stage, according to a video posted by an anti-Israel group. “Free Palestine!”
It's gonna get worse.
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