The DNC's exterior is fenced off one day after pro-Palestinian demonstrators broke through the outer barrier.
In the same location as demonstrators had breached an outer perimeter fence the day before, workmen in Chicago constructed a second row of security fencing surrounding the Democratic National Convention early on Tuesday.
A third row of fencing was erected by about a dozen laborers, extending eastward on Washington Boulevard from the breached location. The two existing rows of fencing are sandwiched by the newly installed row.
The additional security precaution was implemented the day after a group of pro-Palestinian protestors broke away from a bigger protest march and broke through a security fence close to the United Center. The demonstrators were protesting against US support for Israel in its war against Hamas.
On camera, members of this smaller group can be seen waving Palestinian flags, holding posters that read, "Victory to the Palestinian struggle!", and chanting, "Biden, Harris, you can't hide, you're funding a genocide."
Chicago police reported that four protestors were taken into custody.
They got past the fence. They entered the outer ring. Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters on Monday that "they were shaking the fence on the other side and trying to get into the inner perimeter." "Officers moved quickly to prevent that from happening."
Snelling continued, "Our responsibility is to ensure the safety of the DNC, our city, and ourselves." "If they had managed to cross over, we have no idea what they would have done. However, as I've previously stated, we will not put up with anyone who defaces our city. We shall not put up with anyone who engages in violent behavior.
Snelling said he did not equate the security compromise with the march as a whole. “There were those who merely desired to be heard. That's what they did. However, some of that group made the decision to stand behind and attempt to scale the barrier in order to reach the other side, and we cannot allow that to occur," he stated.
"The DNC Public Safety Joint Information Center said in a statement that there was no threat to any protectees and that the inner perimeter had never been compromised.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Snelling stated that while protesters used pepper spray and several officers were struck by water bottles, no serious injuries were sustained. He said that the police' reaction had been restrained.
"Body-cam footage demonstrates how expertly the police officers responded.," he said. He refuses to make any body-camera footage of the event available right away.
Speaking to CNN on the convention floor on Monday, Democratic governor of Illinois JB Pritzker stated that there is "a good plan in place" and that the fence breaching was just temporary. The freedom to protest will be respected, he stressed, but the government will not "stand for any mayhem."
Throughout the four days of the convention, there will be several rallies against the continuing Israel-Hamas war, including the pro-Palestinian march on Monday. Authorities have increased security around the United Center in anticipation of major protests.
There have been further effects of the protests. Attendees experienced severe bus delays on Monday evening as a result of two distinct shuttle bus problems and nearby protest activities, according to a statement released by the Secret Service on Tuesday.
Democratic speakers have mainly avoided talking about the Israel-Hamas conflict, while President Joe Biden brought up the demonstrations when he stated that his administration was trying to bring the conflict to an end and secure a truce.
He made the statement, "The demonstrators in the street do have a point." "Numerous innocent individuals are losing their lives on both sides."
