CHICAGO − Over a dozen individuals were arrested during protests on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, according to Chicago police, who were preparing for potential confrontations at the Israeli consulate scheduled for Tuesday evening.

The arrests on Monday occurred after a mostly peaceful one-mile march attended by thousands of participants advocating for an end to the conflict in Gaza. Officers apprehended 13 individuals, including a 70-year-old retired ER doctor who claimed he was merely cycling by to observe the demonstration.

Chaos erupted when the march halted at a park adjacent to the United Center convention hall at around 5 p.m. Dozens of participants attempted to breach the outer security fence of the convention site.

Protesters tore down parts of the fence and advanced toward a second perimeter fence before police threatened them with pepper spray. Most demonstrators left the scene after a significant police presence in riot gear closed in. This incident lasted about half an hour.

The majority of arrests took place near the breached area. Out of those arrested, 11 face charges that include one felony count for aggravated battery against a police officer and three misdemeanor counts for resisting arrest. The ages of the accused range from 22 to 70.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who was present during the protest, commended his officers at a briefing on Tuesday. “We demonstrated the training and preparation we’ve been focusing on for over a year,” he stated, noting that protesters hurled water bottles and other objects at officers and utilized pepper spray against them.

Snelling highlighted that the group responsible for the breach comprised only a small fraction of the approximately 3,500 participants in the march.

In response to inquiries regarding reports of two protesters being hospitalized, Snelling clarified that they were taken to the hospital for medication, not due to injuries.

He also dismissed claims of wrongful arrests, stating, “sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time reflects the choices you make to engage in criminal behavior.”

“They acted foolishly, just trying to show off,” retired doctor Charles Steinbrugge remarked to YSL News after spending 12 hours in custody following his arrest by Homeland Security officers. “They seemed to have nothing else to occupy themselves with since there was nothing significant happening in that area.”

The city has reinforced the fencing that protesters had breached, according to Snelling.

Additional Protests Scheduled

Police are preparing for further protests throughout the week, Snelling reported, with one planned for Tuesday evening outside the Israeli Consulate in downtown Chicago.

The organizing group for the consulate protest, Behind Enemy Lines, has encouraged protestors to create disorder during demonstrations and has previously praised the arson of a Minneapolis police precinct amid the 2020 George Floyd riots.

“You can never be certain about how a group like that will behave,” Snelling acknowledged, although he assured that Chicago police were ready.

On Tuesday afternoon, prior to the scheduled protest, numerous police officers were seen amassing outside the consulate and around nearby streets.

Contributing: Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel