For several weeks, the City of Chicago has been sitting on a request from a pro-Israel group to hold a solidarity march during the Democratic National Convention, even as it has granted permission for a coalition of pro-Palestinian activists to demonstrate when the proceedings kick off.
The Israeli American Council, a nonprofit organization representing Israeli-Americans that seeks to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Israel, filed two applications with Chicago’s Department of Transportation at the beginning of July, according to Aya Schechter, the group’s chief programming officer.
But with just under two weeks remaining until the convention, the IAC has yet to receive an answer from the city, despite following up via phone and email.
The group had also submitted an application in mid-June for a stationary demonstration within “sight and sound” of the convention, which will be held at the United Center on Chicago’s West Side. That request was denied, according to a rejection letter, which said the proposed rally “would be a direct interference with a previously planned permitted activity or public assembly and would create public safety issues.”
While the letter said it would instead allow the IAC to rally in a public park on the final evening of the convention, which is scheduled to run Aug. 19-22, the IAC chose not to accept the offer because it was too far away from the United Center, according to Schechter.
For Schechter, the so far unsuccessful effort to secure a desirable permit ahead of the convention, which is expected to draw thousands of anti-Israel protesters, has underscored what she characterized as unbalanced treatment as her group seeks to show support for Israel and the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“It seems like we don’t have equitable access to whatever the other group was approved for,” she said in an interview with Jewish Insider earlier this week, voicing frustration with the city’s delay. “We didn’t get any offer to do a march, not even in an alternative location.”
Last month, a coalition of pro-Palestinian activists planning a so-called “March on the DNC” gained permission for a protest route near the convention — an offer meant to settle a lawsuit accusing the city of First Amendment violations. The coalition, which predicts more than 25,000 participants who could disrupt the convention, has continued to challenge the contours of the proposed route in court, where a judge’s decision is expected to come next week.
For its part, the IAC has not resorted to similar legal challenges over its pending applications for a march that, Schechter anticipated, could attract thousands of supporters. Schechter was not aware of any other pro-Israel groups that have applied to demonstrate during the convention.
The city’s Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat who has faced criticism from Jewish leaders over his controversial tie-breaking vote approving a City Council resolution that called for a cease-fire in Gaza. His approach to the conflict has raised questions about whether he will be more lenient toward pro-Palestinian organizers, some of whom regard him as an ally of their cause.
The IAC, which has organized rallies across the U.S. in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks, had hoped its presence at the convention would serve as a kind of counterbalance to anti-Israel protesters expressing opposition to the Biden-Harris administration over its handling of the war in Gaza.
“We definitely wanted to bring up more awareness around the U.S. citizens who were either killed on Oct. 7 or kidnapped and are still being held in Gaza,” Schechter told JI. “That’s something we think is important to raise awareness to during the DNC.”
But with time running out ahead of the convention, the IAC’s options remain limited absent approval from the city. “We are looking for creative ways to get our message across if we can’t get a permit,” she suggested.
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