Adam,
Reporting back after the end of the DNC. We started our week on Saturday the 17th with our off days cancelled and working 12 hour shifts. Most were 2pm until 2am and there were overnight shifts as well. The protests never really got out of hand, I think maybe in total 60-70 arrests were made throughout the entire week.
I saw Vivek and Benny Johnson from a distance as they walked through the park where the protests occurred, much earlier than when any large groups arrived. Benny Johnson was one of the biggest fear mongers calling for 50-100k protesters which from most estimates the largest protest might have been about 2k.
Interesting notes:
1. The national guard was stationed at the police academy that’s in Chicago’s west loop about a half mile from the protest. They were standing in front with rifles and living in the classroom on foldout cots and sleeping bags.
2. A lot of angry women in the crowd who hated the police. I got the meanest and nastiest words and looks from zoomer/millennial white women.
3. There was a lot more police support from local businesses and buildings than I’ve ever seen. A leasing company that owned the bottom floor of their apartment complex at Ashland and lake right at the protest location let the police have the lobby where we could take a break and food was donated daily for us to eat throughout the day.
4. A lot of protestors would come for an hour or two and leave like they were checking out their favorite act at lollapalooza, not alot of people in It for the long haul.
5. There were alot of signs from the protestors that said “Abandon Harris”
6. Every Jewish person I saw was very antagonistic to the protestors, one guy had an Israel flag and was waving It in the protestors faces on a train platform.
7. I saw Cornel West up close and personal when I was on post and he was getting into an Uber. My teammates were shocked to learn he was a Harvard professor seeing as he looked homeless.
I think the protest accomplished one thing which was really helped solidify to right wingers that Muslims are bad news even though the protestors were mostly white people. Election season is in full gear now…
-anonymous