Aug 17

Aug 17 DNC Dispatch 2

Chicago, Chicago Tourism, Crime, CTA, Demonstrations, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

“Fuck tha police
Comin straight from the underground
Young nigga got it bad cuz I’m brown
And not the other color so police think
They have the authority to kill a minority

Fuck that shit, cuz I ain’t tha one
For a punk muthafucka with a badge and a gun
To be beatin on, and throwin in jail
We could go toe to toe in the middle of a cell”

— F--k Tha Police, N.W.A., from Straight Outta Compton (1988), as Played During Today's Demonstration Over a Portable Sound Sytem

Just as the sun broke through the clouds mid-afternoon, I headed downtown to capture some establishing shots. As the bus sat stalled in traffic on DuSable Lake Shore Drive north of Fullerton, I received a text: “Saturday, August 17, at 4:00pm: 301 South Columbus (Buckingham Fountain), Group will gather/march for their cause “Shutdown Lake Shore Drive: Justice for Sonya Massey.” So much for establishing shots.

I hopped off the bus at the Wrigley Building, figuring that a brisk walk would be faster given the heavy vehicular traffic. I did not anticipate the packed sidewalks. Michigan Avenue was overflowing with pedestrians—presumably delegates and members of the media enjoying some shopping and the restaurants before the commencement Monday morning of the week’s formal festivities. The Nutella Cafe, Stan’s Donuts, and Nando’s were packed, as the delegates and tourists cued up for the delectables on offer.

Trios of bicycle cops passed me by as I headed southward. Interestingly, the security checkpoints at Millennium Park were unmanned, permitting people to enter without inspection.

Outside of the Art Institute, buses and vans filled with Chicago Police Department officers lined the curb along Michigan Avenue. CPD obviously had ‘commandeered” CTA buses, using them as makeshift cooling stations, and if necessary, as transports for phalanxes of officers should manpower need to be quickly redeployed. Regular CTA riders should expect long waits this week. But as the celebrants at the annual Passover seder ask, “How is this day different from all others?”

Walking toward Buckingham Fountain, I kept thinking that I was about to learn just how the city and CPD were going to handle disruptions and acts of civil disobedience—the $64,000 question that has been on everyone’s minds for months.

Four groups of officers surrounded the fountain, each one placed at a corner of the square surrounding the white spray. In total, there were probably 80 to 100 officers, plus 15 to 20 bicycle cops positioned on the other side of DuSable Lake Shore Drive. The police were ready to deal with a shut down, but there would be no shut down today because there was only one demonstrator—Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef, who describes himself as a “spiritual leader, humanitarian, [and] social justice activist.” Had Rabbi Michael attempted to shut down the Drive, the officers present could have simply blown him into Lake Michigan with a synchronized sneeze.

The Rabbi has good taste in music, as evidenced by the soundtrack he played through his portable speaker system held above the pavement by a small trolley. Some of the music was rap—not high on my list of favs. Not surprisingly, the lyrics were highly inflammatory and critical of the police. But I did hear a lot of what sounded like early Seventies rhythm and blues music. Several police officers shuffled their feet to the beat.

Rabbi Michael is a gutsy guy. As part of his shtick, he stood in front of one group of officers, pointing at a Black or Latino officer, telling him or her to drop the gun or some other article associated with the police. According to Rabbi Michael, eventually their white counterparts would murder them, just like they in the Rabbi’s view murder Black and Latinos on the street. Suffice it to say, none of the officers took Rabbi Michael up on his suggestion. Nor did they take the bait, which bodes well for the upcoming week.

At one point, Near North District Commander Jon Hein directed his officers to simply walk away, which resulted in the Rabbi moving eastward toward another group of officers. Whether Rabbi Michael intended to shut down the Drive is open to question. While he did position himself close to the Drive, he was unable to navigate his trolly down three or four steps. He complained that there was no ramp for “handicapped” individuals. He appeared to ask one of the National Lawyers Guild neutral observers for assistance, but the observer seemingly turned Rabbi Michael down, apparently attempting to maintain neutral-observer status.

It would be easy to dismiss Rabbi Michael as a joker or clown, but the man is serious and committed to his cause. I doubt whether he really intended to shut down the Drive, but he knows how to attract attention. Whether I agree with him or not is largely irrelevant. I do respect his dedication.

After 45 minutes, a heavy rain began to fall. The police headed toward Michigan Avenue, presumably taking cover in some of the vans and buses parked along Columbus Drive. One officer told me she was headed to a couple of other demonstrations, but I was unable to find them.

Contrary to what many say, the Chicago police are very friendly. I often have brief conversations with officers, and I see plenty of smiling acknowledgments as I pass by. Today, the police were particularly sociable. I had at least two lengthy conversations, largely about nothing of significance.

While I was walking north on Michigan Avenue, I felt a tug on my backpack. It was Commander Hein—lucky for me that I didn’t instinctively turn around and slug him in the face. I could have made headlines as the first demonstration-related arrest of the week. Earlier, I simply wished Hein good luck this week—he’s got much bigger fish to fry than talking to me.

Along my walk north, I encountered several buildings with freshly boarded-up windows and entranceways. Walking behind a group of officers, I heard one ask why the owners had decided to incur the expense. Apparently, those businesses remember the riots following George Floyd’s murder in 2020, but I have to agree with the officer. Given that the United Center is located several miles west, I don’t think the businesses in the Loop are in much jeopardy, but who knows what might happen?

As for the police: they are extremely well prepared. Most visibly carried nightsticks. The majority were wearing green, fluorescent vests. Some had combinations of large letters and numbers affixed to their backs, which I suspect signals that those officers were group leaders. Interestingly, some of the officers lining Michigan Avenue were dressed in black uniforms rather than the regular navy-blue ones. I can only guess, but I personally found the black uniforms more intimidating, which may account for the switch.

When I arrived at Chicago Avenue, I saw Michigan Avenue lined with metal barricades along Jane Byrne Plaza (site of Chicago’s historic Water Tower). The barriers also extended westward along Chicago Avenue. I saw a similar set up in Milwaukee in the area surrounding the Pfister Hotel, where former President Trump stayed.

Several months ago, some demonstrators proposed using the park for demonstrations, so when I first saw the barriers from the bus heading south, I thought CPD had restricted access to the park to prevent any unauthorized demonstrations, but the steel auto barrier strongly suggests that the park is part of a major security checkpoint. I would not be surprised if Vice President Harris, President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, or former President Bill Clinton will be staying at the Park Hyatt; although it is hard to believe that the Park Hyatt has four presidential suites. Notably, Walton Street at the Drake Hotel did not have security fencing or a steel barrier in the street.

The park Hyatt is perfectly situated for motorcades to the United Center—Chicago Avenue to Ashland Avenue, and then a right turn onto to Madison. While Biden speaks Monday night, Obama Tuesday night, and Clinton Wednesday night, I wonder whether the presidential trio will come out for a photo-op with Harris following her acceptance speech Thursday night, meaning that the three could be in town for most, if not all of the convention.

A Note to Readers: Future DNC dispatches most likely will be much shorter. The first major demonstration is scheduled for 5:00 PM Sunday. Between the activity at McCormick Place, the marches and demonstrations, and evenings at the convention, I simply won’t have the time to process images or write lengthy discourses.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]