Group protests DNC, demands aid for Chicago homeless

Dozens of people advocating for Chicago's unhoused protested outside of The Union League Club of Chicago Thursday morning, looking to voice their concerns ahead of the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

They are demanding the DNC and the administration of President Joe Biden, the party's presumptive nominee for the fall election, commit to helping Chicago's homeless population before coming to the City this summer.

"We don’t want you to come here, spend millions, leave here and we got the same damn situation before you came here," said Father Michael Pfleger, who hosted the demonstration. "We say to the government, if you want to come into Chicago, and you want to come in and do a big convention where millions of dollars will be spent on parties and lobbyists and on hotels, restaurants... Well come also with millions of dollars and a commitment to do something with homelessness in America.”

He said Chicago is a great place to start.

According to Chicago's Coalition for the homeless, 68,440 people in Chicago experienced homelessness in 2021.

According to Chicago Public Schools 12,000 students are in temporary living situations this year.

“That makes no sense when we have money where we can hold conventions and spend millions of dollars to party, while my friends right now, real time, are in a park," said Christopher Shuttlesworth of the Illinois Union of The Homeless.

The protest comes the same week the U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion national security package providing aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian help to Gaza.

"If we can come up with billions of dollars for war, then we ought to come up with billions of dollars to feed and house people in this city and in this country," Ft. Pfleger said.

He said he's been in contact with DNC officials to make their demands known before the convention.

NBC 5 talked to spokespersons for the DNC, and are waiting for an official statement.