Several people arrested after clashes between protesters and police near United Center – NBC Chicago

Several people were arrested by Chicago police on Monday evening when a group of protesters broke through a security cordon near the United Center at the start of the Democratic National Convention.

NBC Chicago/Telemundo: Chicago photojournalists filmed several protesters climbing over the fences at Park 578, where a demonstration authorized by city authorities was scheduled to end at 6 p.m. Chanting broke out and people banged on the fences as dozens of Chicago police officers in riot gear confronted several protesters.

According to the DNC Joint Information Center, protesters broke through part of the fence but were unable to penetrate the inner perimeter of the United Center.

“The National Special Security Event plan takes a layered approach. Each NSSE plan is unique and includes multiple layers,” a statement said. “One of these redundancies includes the outer perimeter fence erected to prevent intrusion into the inner area.”

The exact number of arrests is not yet known, but sources told NBC Chicago that several people were arrested following the break-in.

One of the seven protests planned through Thursday began at 3015 W Division Street and led to the intended end point, Park 578. Although the protest was organized by the Poor People's Human Rights Campaign, it was not clear whether the protesters who clashed with police were affiliated with the organization.

A total of 264 groups said they would participate in peaceful demonstrations. Most of them called for Palestinian rights, an end to the Gaza war and a reduction in US aid to Israel. Other groups represented a hodgepodge of left-leaning causes: climate activists, socialists, anti-racist organizations, queer and trans rights groups.

At one of the three authorized demonstrations on Monday, Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, led his officers.

“I'm here to make sure people are here and can protest as freely as they want,” he said. “There are many different conditions that affect a day like this.”

As many people flocked to the area near the United Center to participate in the protests, some volunteered as paramedics to ensure the safety of the protesters.

On Friday, a coalition that organizes protests reached a last-minute agreement with city officials, meeting many of the group's demands by providing an on-site stage and sound system. The agreement includes a stage, sound system and portable toilets in Union Park. Tents, which the city previously said could be used to conceal protesters' activities, are not included.

As protesters made their way to Park 578 – within sight and hearing of the DNC – they expressed interest in negotiating an extension of the protest route.

“We will continue to negotiate. We negotiated and they did not, but we will continue to negotiate until the last minute,” said Hatem Abudayyeh of the US Palestinian Community Network.