March on the DNC Coalition rallies after being denied protest permit

CHICAGO - Protest groups want to be seen and heard when the Democratic National Convention (DNC) comes to Chicago in August.

Leaders of the March on DNC Coalition rallied outside Chicago’s hearing facility Monday. They say they’re planning demonstrations that will be historic. 

The coalition applied for protest permits, were denied and say the city offered an alternative location nearly 4 miles away from the United Center.

They want to be close enough to confront lawmakers and send a message to the Biden administration about Palestinian rights in Gaza, just as they have when they shut down congressional offices and intersections around Illinois.

Hatem Abudayyeh, co-founder and National Coordinating Committee member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), said tens of thousands of Palestinians will travel to Chicago to join demonstrations, whether the city grants a permit or not.

Chicago police say the security plan considers the safety of protesters and their right to free speech. 

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling says the city has experience hosting national platform events and the strategy will be based on what police learned during the NATO gathering in 2012.

Demonstrators say the 2012 NATO event was not a good experience, and during the DNC in 1996, demonstrations were relegated to a space they called humiliating.

The March on DNC Coalition wants its message on the world stage.