Chicago's top cop responds to 'absolutely disgusting' remarks made to officers during protest

CHICAGO - Multiple pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested Tuesday after clashing with police during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate and spilled out onto the surrounding streets on the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

The intense confrontations with officers began minutes into the demonstration, after some protesters – many dressed in black, their faces covered – charged at a line of police that had blocked the group from marching. They eventually moved past the officers, but were penned in several times throughout the night by police in riot gear who did not allow protesters to disperse.

On Wednesday, Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Larry Snelling addressed the situation, stating that the department had declared a mass arrest after officers were physically confronted and attacked by demonstrators.

Between 55 and 60 people were arrested, including three journalists. Two of the arrested individuals were taken to local hospitals to be treated for minor injuries, including knee pain and a finger injury, and were later released. Snelling also reported that two officers were injured during the clashes, but they refused medical attention, choosing to stay on duty with their fellow officers.

"We had a group that showed up, and they showed up with the intent of committing acts of violence, vandalism. That was their intent," said Snelling. "As the Chicago Police Department, we did everything that we could to deescalate that situation. But there is only so much deescalation that you can attempt before it becomes excessive repetition. And in excessive repetition, you continue to say things to people until they stop believing that you're going to do anything about it."

A significant portion of the arrests occurred at the end of the night when police pinned the remaining demonstrators in a plaza, blocking them from leaving. Some protesters claimed they were simply trying to go home. Superintendent Snelling, however, denied that the police had "kettled" the protesters, a controversial tactic that involves corralling demonstrators into a confined area and is banned under a federal consent decree.

Snelling emphasized that the CPD will always protect the rights of people who come to Chicago to protest peacefully, but he characterized Tuesday night’s events as "a danger to our city and a danger to our citizens."

Praising his officers’ handling of the situation, Snelling called the police response proportional, stating, "We were not the initiators of violence, but we did respond to it."

Addressing the treatment of his officers during the protests, Chief Snelling spoke passionately about the harassment they endured, particularly the female officers who faced appalling verbal abuse.

"I just need to say this for our officers, especially our female officers," said Snelling. "The vicious, nasty, sexually explicit things that were said to those women: absolutely disgusting. I have women in my family, and the anger that I felt. But let me tell you, the pride that I have for those women who dealt with that, took it, did not lose their cool and the officers that didn't lose theirs. Understand these are human beings. Somebody's mother, someone's daughter, sister, aunt, niece, spoken to in that way. But they stood their ground, and they did what they had to do."

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DNC protests: Arrests made at Pro-Palestinian rally outside Israeli Consulate

At least four people were handcuffed as protesters rallied outside the building that houses the Israel Consulate on Tuesday, prompting confrontations with police.

Earlier in the evening, some demonstrators set an American flag on fire in the street as the celebratory roll call for Vice President Kamala Harris took place inside the United Center about two miles away.

As protesters regrouped and approached a line of police in riot gear in front of a Chicago skyscraper that houses the Israeli consulate, an officer said into a megaphone, "You are ordered to immediately disperse." A woman in the front of the march shouted back with her own megaphone: "We’re not scared of you."

A man in Chicago Bulls hat, his face covered by a balaclava, called on protesters to "shut down the DNC." The group, which is not affiliated with the coalition of over 200 groups that organized Monday’s protests, advertised the demonstration Tuesday under the slogan of "Make it great like ’68," invoking the anti-Vietnam War protests that seized the city during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

"We will not stand by and let our officers be attacked, because an officer who cannot protect himself, herself, themselves cannot protect this city," said Snelling. "Enough is enough."

The atmosphere with rows of police in riot gear was a stark contrast to a day earlier when thousands of pro-Palestinian activists, including families pushing babies in strollers, marched near the convention site calling for a ceasefire.

Police kept protesters confined to a block of Madison Street, a normally bustling downtown thoroughfare where traffic was halted on both ends Tuesday evening.

Law enforcement had closed down most of the entrances to the building on Tuesday, allowing commuters to come in only one entrance where armed officers were also posted. Many of the building’s shops were closed. Martha Hill, a spokeswoman for the Metra commuter rail service, said train service was running as normal.

The consulate has been the site of numerous demonstrations since the war in Gaza began in October. It is in a building connected to the Ogilvie Transportation Center, a major commuter rail station.

Mohammed Ismail, a 29-year-old psychiatry resident who lives in Chicago, described the police presence as "excessive," and questioned why the group had been blocked from marching. He said he joined the protest to urge Democrats to cease funding to Israel.

"It’s not right that we’re sending our tax money to fund an ongoing slaughter, an ongoing genocide," Ismail said. "We’re a part of this conflict because our money is paying for it."

Meanwhile, the sites of demonstrations from the previous night were largely quiet. Thirteen people were arrested during Monday's protests, most them related to a "brief breach" of security fencing "within sight and sound of the United Center," Snelling said.

Israel supporters, including some relatives of people kidnapped by Hamas, gathered earlier in the day at a pro-Israel art installation not far from the consulate to call on U.S. leaders to continue backing Israel and pushing for the release of hostages. The art installation included giant milk cartons bearing photos of some of the hostages.

Elan Carr, CEO of the Israeli-American Council, condemned the pro-Palestinian protesters who have descended on Chicago this week, calling them "fringe crazies" and demanding that U.S. leaders "stand unequivocally with the state of Israel."

More protests were planned throughout the week. However, attendance at the main rally on Monday was far below estimates of organizers who had predicted more than 20,000 would show up.

Snelling said Monday's crowd was around 3,500 people and that the vast majority of those protesters were peaceful.

FOX 32 Chicago contributed to this report.