CHICAGO (CBS) — The countdown continues to the Democratic National Conventionand protests are expected with some 25,000 people taking to the streets to exercise their First Amendment rights.
A plan was unveiled Wednesday for those who may be arrested during those protests. Dozens of lawyers have volunteered to represent those taken into custody under those circumstances, and many will wear green hats to watch what happens in real time.
“It’s really important for people to be able to be civically engaged and speak out about causes that they support. I think sometimes people are afraid to protest when they see increased police activity, like we see at national security events,” said Matthew McLoughlin, director of operations and mass defense coordinator for the Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. “We hope that by providing these legal services, people will feel confident in going out and making their voices heard.”
McLoughlin helped train about 150 lawyers and law students to respond to arrests at the DNC following protests.
“People are very excited to work with NLG Chicago to provide legal assistance to people protesting the Democratic National Convention,” he said. “Over the last eight months, we’ve conducted over a dozen trainings and trained over 150 people to provide legal assistance.”
Some members of the National Lawyers Guild will wear their bright green caps as legal observers during the protest.
“We monitor police activity and gather information from people who have been arrested. This allows us to put our members in touch with people who have been taken into police custody and ensure their rights are protected,” McLoughlin said.
Chicago police have been training for months to respond to demonstrations during the convention.
“The Chicago Police Department is here to protect your rights, your First Amendment rights. Your voice is heard,” Police Chief Larry Snelling said on June 6, in a point he made repeated many times since then“But again, we do not tolerate violence.”
Protest groups, many of which plan to protest in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and against the war in Gaza, expect tens of thousands of people to gather on a route just over a mile long.
Meanwhile, the Cook County Circuit Court system is opening a additional temporary court facility in the event of mass arrests. The court told CBS News Chicago that dozens of judges have cleared their schedules of all but the most essential proceedings so they are available for such cases.
Pro bono lawyers like McLoughlin also plan to attend.
“I think what happens at the DNC will largely depend on how the Chicago Police Department chooses to respond to protesters,” he said.
In addition to their legal services and training, the National Lawyers Guild is establishing a 24-hour hotline during the DNC for legal questions. The hotline is at 872-4NLG-CHIor 872-465-4244.
Meanwhile, the protest groups suing the city of Chicago over their First Amendment right to protest finally received their permits on Wednesday. But they say they still plan to appeal part of that decision, since they were denied the right to bring a sound system to the protest.
