Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters faced off with the Chicago police outside the city’s Israeli consulate on Tuesday night, about two miles from the arena where the Democratic National Convention was underway.
At least a dozen demonstrators were detained during the protest, which came on the third day of pro-Palestinian activism around the convention. Hundreds of protesters marched downtown on Sunday night, and a large protest march on Monday drew thousands of people, though fewer than organizers had expected.
On Tuesday, demonstrators chanted and made speeches, as lines of police officers stood by, blocking the office tower that houses the consulate. Police took some protesters into custody after a short skirmish, and the atmosphere was sometimes tense, though the protest group was outnumbered by journalists and police officers.
One protester, Shawna Ohm, who lives in Chicago, said that it “seemed like there’s been a conscientious effort by a lot of Democratic leadership to avoid addressing” the war in Gaza, and that she wanted to lend her voice to the issue. She said she had voted for Democratic presidential candidates in the past but was conflicted about this election.
“I really don’t want to Trump to win, but I don’t think I can in good faith vote for someone who’s supporting what I view as a genocide,” Ms. Ohm said.
In a statement, the Israeli consulate in Chicago said that the protest was “anything but peaceful and completely contradictory to the spirit of the D.N.C.”
City officials said before the Tuesday protest that they had made 13 arrests connected to protests, including a small group of people who tried to breach a security gate on Monday not far from the United Center, where the convention is being held. Larry Snelling, the superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, said people had been arrested on charges including criminal trespass, resisting arrest and aggravated battery of the police.
Officials did not immediately say how many people they arrested on Tuesday night. At several points, a Chicago police official asked protesters where they would like to march. Sometimes, protesters declined to engage.
A group called Behind Enemy Lines planned the demonstration at the consulate on Tuesday night in opposition to U.S. support for Israel in the war in Gaza. In online promotions for the demonstration, the group called on protesters to “Make it great like ’68,” a reference to the 1968 Democratic convention held in Chicago that saw violent clashes between the police and protesters.
Michael Boyte, a co-founder of the group, said last week that the activists he was organizing with had different goals than an earlier march that was held during the convention, which drew many liberal groups and branded itself as family friendly.
“We’re not a pressure group on the Democrats,” Mr. Boyte said. “We’re trying to confront them, confront them for what they’ve been doing to the people of Gaza.”
Supporters of Israel have also made their voices heard during the convention. Several people holding Israeli flags marched on Monday near where pro-Palestinian protesters gathered. On Tuesday, the Israeli American Council hosted an outdoor exhibit designed to draw attention to Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
At that event, Erik Rutzick, an artist, drew portraits of hostages, making charcoal sketches of their faces.
“These people have been locked up for nearly a year, and the memories are starting to fade, and they’re not getting the attention they deserve,” said Mr. Rutzick, a Miami artist who goes by the name Shmutz.
Ahead of the protest at the consulate, Metra, the Chicago-area commuter rail agency, announced closures to some entrances at two train stations near where demonstrators planned to gather.
Mr. Snelling, the police superintendent, said the city would not tolerate violence or vandalism. Officers in riot gear were deployed to handle the protests at least twice on Monday.
“You never know what to expect from a group like that,” he said of Tuesday night’s planned protest. “From the C.P.D. aspect of it, we’re going to rely on our training, we’re going to stay focused on First Amendment protection, but we’re also going to make sure that we protect everyone in this city.”
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