Though the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is still seven months away, a coalition of progressive groups supporting abortion rights and LGBTQ+ equality filed for the first permit on Tuesday to march and protest during outside the United Center and McCormick Place during the convention.
The 2024 DNC marks the first time Chicago will host the party's convention since 1996, preceding what is poised to be an incredibly consequential presidential election.
The groups filing to hold rallies are hoping the party is forced to address the demands of protesters.
“The pressure that a huge, massive number of people that we have not yet seen be brought to bear is what we are bringing to the streets so that everybody in attendance at the Democratic National Convention will hear us,” Linda Loew of Chicago for Abortion Rights told NBC Chicago.
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Another activist said that Democrats have failed to walk the walk after talking the talk to get elected.
“The fact of the matter is the Democrats have used our issues to gain electoral advantage and then given us the bare minimum,” said Andy Thayer, a long-time Chicago activist who spoke on behalf of the groups.
The DNC will be held between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22, and is expected to draw more than 5,000 delegates, 20,000 media members and as many as 50,000 visitors.
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Organizers also expect the convention to draw thousands of protesters, likely bringing the highest amount of protesters to the city since the 2012 Chicago NATO summit.
“If you look back at NATO, NATO was textbook,” said Anthony Riccio, who helped plan security for the event
“I think the reason NATO went so well was because there was so much preparation in advance,” said the former First Deputy Superintendent for CPD who now heads up public safety at Monterrey Security. “Officers were trained for months on how to handle these large crowds.”
Many of the groups planning to protest in Chicago will also be protesting a month earlier when the Republican National Convention is held in Milwaukee.
“We are sending a very clear message: that we want national legislation for not just abortion rights and reproductive rights, but also LGBTQ autonomy,” Thayer said.
