I The Protest

On March 7th, 2024—5 months into the genocide of Gaza—Behind Enemy Lines called on students and youth to join us in Chicago to shut down the DNC for Gaza. On August 20th at 7pm, over 200 brave protestors gathered outside of the Israeli consulate to do just that.

Approaching 500 W. Madison, BEL organizers and volunteers were immediately surrounded by hundreds of riot cops, dozens of Zionists, white supremacists, and Nazis. Lined in front of the consulate, speakers from Samdioun and Labor for Palestine addressed the surge of media and the crowd of protestors behind them.

Following the speeches, we marched West towards the United Center to confront those responsible for the genocide in Gaza, until a wall of police descended on the crowd. The media quickly scattered as arrests began, cops throwing protestors to the ground, ripping off their masks, and brutally restraining them.

After attempts to push through the wall of police, the remaining protestors regathered in front of the Israeli consulate, where Behind Enemy Lines spoke before opening the mic to other protestors ready to speak bitterness. In English and Spanish, we heard from comrades who hated the bombs being dropped on Gaza, who hated the democrats, and who wanted to overthrow the system. Energy was high and the vitriol for U.S. imperialism was cutting.

These messages were delivered in front of the Israeli Consulate, the genocidal puppet of the United States, and in front of a sea of cops whose mission was to protect the interest of the rulers of our country, the democrats, who have the blood of over 100,000 Palestinians on their hands. The focus on the enemy in this protest was a far cry from the earlier marches (parades) being held during the DNC where people merely plead for their demands to be met by the party of genocide.

After the rally, as we attempted to disperse, police surrounded the crowd on all sides. Two waves of violent mass arrests followed. Protestors and media alike were kettled, many experiencing difficulty breathing, injuries from being trampled and hit by the cops as they tried to leave before being arrested. In total, 59 protestors were arrested according to the National Lawyers Guild.

II Response from the police

Reports estimate that upwards of 1,000 police officers were present during the protest on August 20, out-numbering the protestors 5-1. Arrests throughout the night were violent, with many protestors reporting bruising and other injuries from their arrests. In one instance, cops violently dragged a protestor from the crowd, inflicting injuries to his head. Throughout the night, police tactically kettled protestors, cornering a smaller group and surrounding them, often in attempt to perform mass arrests by preventing them from following dispersal orders (if they’d even been given at all). Protestors also reported being smashed and suffocated by the police during these kettling attempts.

Leaving the protest, one legal observer commented on the police behavior, “Tonight was bad.” Brad Thompson, an NLG legal volunteer, noted “After preventing the crowd from marching, they corralled people, started arresting people indiscriminately without giving proper orders to disperse”. These observations contradict public statements by Superintendent Larry Snelling, who personally supervised the CPD riot: Despite eye witness accounts, Snelling praised the Chicago Police Department’s “great restraint” during this action.

III Aftermath: Contrasting responses

The Media – Livestreams of protestors’ first amendment rights being stripped by CPD sharply juxtaposed the democrats celebrating “freedom” inside the DNC. While media narratives ranged from claims of excessive use of violence against protestors, to claims of violence originating from the protestors themselves, the images of riot cops dragging demonstrators spoke for themselves.

The Left – The “March on the DNC” coalition and other leftists groups primarily remained silent and offered no support to those arrested. In fact, some of the key members of that coalition instead engaged in a campaign of slander and online shit-talking against Behind Enemy Lines for attempting to confront the literal party of genocide. This shit-talking mirrored the language of CPD Superintendent Snelling.

The Arrestees – Through summation and follow-ups with those arrested, morale remained high. The enemy was exposed. Protestors bravely confronted the police who sought to protect the ruling class democrats, and protestors felt the connection and support of one another. Following BEL leadership, the crowd worked together to fight for Gaza in ways other “protests” squashed. As one paddy wagon approached the 19th district police station, arrestees could be heard cheering: “Free Palestine!”

The Masses – Following the arrests, BEL and volunteers took to street teams to talk to folks about the arrests. Overwhelming support poured out for the protestors. Many expressed disgust with the police—or “criminals”— for arresting the people standing against genocide, and relief for actual escalation for Gaza. Ties from violent policing to U.S. imperialism were exposed. Check out our Instagram for some videos of the masses expressing their support.

IV Aftermath: Legal battle

Behind Enemy Lines and a few other volunteers immediately provided jail support for those arrested and took on the campaign to drop ALL charges against protestors during the DNC, including those arrested on Tuesday night as well as those arrested at other actions that week. Street teams went out to talk to people around Chicago about the charges, call-ins to Mayor Brandon Johnson and State Attorney Kim Foxx, and our plans to pack the courts for all hearings.

The arrests and actions of the police on August 20th were a clear suppression of free expression and an attack on protest against a government actively funding, arming, and endorsing a genocide. The police response carried on a long history of CPD’s violent attack on protestors. Brandon Johnson said in a press conference the next day, “If the 1968 convention went down in history as the example of police brutality, then the 2024 convention will go down as the example of constitutional policing.” This is a lie. For a good report on this, read Kelly Hui’s article, ”Chicago Police Brutalized Gaza Protesters as Democrats Celebrated ‘Freedom’“ in The Nation.

V Aftermath: Goals vs. outcomes

While we may not have shut down the DNC, the “Make it Great like ‘68” protest successfully exposed Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ties to violent policing and suppression of free speech for those who are fighting for an end to the genocide in Gaza. We also exposed the clear distinction between Behind Enemy Lines and the protestors who joined us, and the parades of the earlier “protests” put on by the March on the DNC, which accomplished absolutely nothing other than promoting counter-revolutionary politics. The protest on August 20 exposed the differences between the left’s and BEL’s tactics and politics. We cannot ask for change; we must demand it with the masses. We know we must go outside the bounds of acceptable protest to win. Because while people were parading on Thursday asking for concessions, Kamala Harris stood steadfast in her commitment to making the United States “the most lethal military in the word.” Lastly, this action illuminated the bravery of protestors willing to confront those responsible for the genocide, served as an example for others, and brought more people into our struggle against US Imperialism.

VI Where do we go from here

Firstly, we must continue to pursue the campaign to get the charges for all DNC protesters dropped. It doesn’t matter if you rolled with BEL on Tuesday, were arrested on a different day during the DNC, or don’t even know who we are. The state’s repression on protestors fighting the genocide must be resisted and fought in all forms. Join us in getting all the charges dropped. Call Brandon Johnson (773) 456-3191 and Kim Foxx (312) 603-1880 and demand they drop the charges for all DNC protestors.

Secondly, we must continue to prioritize and intensify our work among the masses. Turning to the left will only bring us to electoral charades and parades while the U.S. carries on committing a genocide. Rather, let’s build support with the makers of history. Take out the drop the charges campaign, the Palestine vote pledge, consolidate the most politically advanced contacts, and recruit the most defiant among them. Fuck the left and leftists who continue to come around our work, but never commit. We are going to the masses and will build resistance with them.

Lastly, we must continue to escalate for Gaza. The genocide will only continue if people revert to the acceptable means of struggle (voting, permitted protests, etc.). Defiant resistance is the only way forward to truly bring an end to U.S. imperialism and victory to Palestine. Behind Enemy Lines is operating around the country to carry on this work. Join us.