The city of Chicago is frantically building miles of security fencing around its downtown as it prepares for the Democratic National Convention (DNC), which kicks off on Monday.
Security fencing will be installed around the United Center and McCormick Place, as well as in the commercial areas along Michigan Avenue, also known as the “Magnificent Mile.” Additionally, fencing will be installed around areas designated as protest zones.
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Roads have already been closed, effectively cutting off traffic in the area.
The security zone was formally established on Friday to allow workers more time to erect the fencing needed for the tournament to start on Monday and concrete barriers to stop illegal vehicle traffic.
Social media has been filled with images and videos of barriers being erected to separate Democrats attending the convention into safe areas.
At the same time, many downtown businesses have contracted with boarding services to seal off retail stores to prevent the kind of wholesale destruction that devastated much of the Windy City during 2020 riots.
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The security operation has been in the works for a long time. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) Trained The city will work with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies for a year during the tournament to try to defend the city’s 237-square-mile area, according to CNN.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling also warned protesters that the First Amendment is no cover for “criminal activity.”
ABC7 reported Snelling told CNN:
There is a clear difference between rioting and peaceful protest, or people simply exercising their First Amendment rights. [sic] “The actions do not include rioting. They do not include criminal activity. They do not include breaking the law. They do not include violence, vandalism or any other behavior that we would not tolerate in our city. But if people are here to exercise their First Amendment rights, and they are acting peacefully and lawfully, we will protect that right.”
“The minute it starts, it has to end,” Snelling said of violence and riots, according to Chicago’s WBEZ radio. “When people become accustomed to committing acts of violence and vandalism, that’s when it becomes riotous.”
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