{"id":1388,"date":"2024-08-17T10:49:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T10:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/?p=1388"},"modified":"2024-08-19T10:55:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T10:55:41","slug":"chicagos-mayor-owes-his-career-to-activism-how-will-he-handle-demonstrators-at-the-dnc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/17\/chicagos-mayor-owes-his-career-to-activism-how-will-he-handle-demonstrators-at-the-dnc\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago\u2019s Mayor Owes His Career to Activism. How Will He Handle Demonstrators at the DNC?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shortly before Chicago\u2019s<\/span> 2023 mayoral election, Brandon Johnson appeared at a roundtable attended by the progressive activists and modern-day abolitionists powering his shoestring campaign.<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s political beginnings weren\u2019t that different from those of the activists supporting his candidacy. He started his career as a public school middle school teacher in a neighborhood once dubbed \u201cthe most dangerous\u201d<\/a> in the city. He went on to become a paid organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, known for its polarizing yet successful<\/a> teacher strikes in 2012 and 2019. In an effort to re-open a shuttered high school<\/a> in 2015, Johnson joined a hunger strike and refused to eat solid foods for more than a week. Amid the racial justice protests of 2020, Johnson authored<\/a> a resolution as a Cook County commissioner to \u201credirect funds from policing\u201d to public services. (On the controversial concept of defunding the police, Johnson once said<\/a> on a radio show, \u201cI don\u2019t look at it as a slogan. It\u2019s an actual real political goal.\u201d)<\/p>\n

But as the 2023 election neared, the forward-thinking, cancel-rent, defund-the police campaign volunteers that launched Johnson from obscurity began to fear that Johnson\u2019s campaign messaging was \u201cstraying from its initial public safety commitments.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

At the roundtable, Johnson\u2019s words fell a little short of revolutionary change. \u201cI\u2019m not going to become mayor and then capitalism will fall,\u201d he joked, according to meeting attendee Asha Ransby-Sporn who wrote about the assembly for In These Times.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-1250050101<\/figure>\n

Brandon Johnson with Bernie Sanders at a rally during a mayoral race event the UIC Forum March 30, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.<\/span>Jim Vondruska\/Getty<\/span><\/p>\n

The gathering was significant in that it showed Johnson beginning to navigate the interests of his core constituency with those of the broader community that he now governs as Chicago\u2019s mayor. And it is a place he finds himself in again as his city prepares to play host to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) beginning Monday.<\/p>\n

His home turf will be teeming with thousands of local Chicago police officers whose Fraternal Order of Police union didn\u2019t support his mayoral candidacy; droves of federal officials whose agencies will supersede his authority; marquee Democratic names who can easily boost political careers or stymie them; and tens of thousands of disillusioned progressive activists, who\u2014like those at the meeting\u2014feel discontent with the status quo, particularly Democrats\u2019 continued support of Israel amidst its ongoing bombardment of Gaza.<\/p>\n

\n

A battle between protesters versus police. Constitutional rights versus safety public safety. Radicals versus realists.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

But with his unique perspective as a former organizer and a critic of Israel\u2019s aggressive military tactics who now helps oversee police accountability, Johnson is once more in the position of serving as a bridge between where he and fellow progressives want<\/em> the party to be and where it is now. Only this time he\u2019s playing that role on a national stage that may determine both the country\u2019s political future, and his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cA number of people have had their careers get a springboard at the convention,\u201d says Christopher Cooper, a Western Carolina University political science professor who points to Anthony J. Foxx rising from his post as a mayor hosting the 2012 DNC in Charlotte, North Carolina, to an Obama administration cabinet secretary in 2013.<\/p>\n

The extent to which Johnson can manage the imperatives of the protesters to be heard and of law enforcement to ensure security will almost certainly affect whether the DNC serves as an accelerant for the momentum surging through liberal circles right now. Or, as was the case when anti-war protests broke out at the 1968 DNC,<\/a> escalating stand-offs and violence between the two camps could bring enthusiasm to a screeching halt.<\/p>\n

Outsiders describe the tensions as a battle between protesters versus police. Constitutional rights versus safety public safety. Radicals versus realists. But to Johnson, it\u2019s a balance he wouldn\u2019t be facing at all without his own activism-centered political ascension.<\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly understand that without protests,\u201d he tells me during a 45-minute interview, \u201cyou and I don\u2019t exist, quite frankly.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a contentious January<\/span> city council meeting marked by passionate speeches and so much heckling that an hour-long recess had to be called, the new mayor cast the tie-breaking vote<\/a> on a 23-23 deadlock to approve a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. More than 100 local governments<\/a> have done so, but Chicago remains the largest by population.<\/p>\n

If Johnson wasn\u2019t mired in meetings with local and national lawmakers and law enforcement personnel ahead of the convention, it\u2019s not crazy to envision a previous version of him among the activists painting picket signs to march near the convention site. His support for the city council resolution put him at odds with President Joe Biden and much of the rest of Democratic Party leadership, which has so far continued to supply Israel with military aid despite more than 40,000<\/a> reported Palestinian deaths since the terrorist-group Hamas launched its October 7 attacks on Israel, killing 1,200 and capturing more than 240 hostages.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening right now is not only egregious, it is genocidal.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Johnson\u2019s position on the conflict also goes well beyond that of freshly minted Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who has shown sympathy for Palestinian suffering but has also expressed \u201cunwavering\u201d<\/a> commitment to Israel and its security. \u201cWhat\u2019s happening right now is not only egregious, it is genocidal,\u201d Johnson, by contrast, says in our interview. \u201cWe have to acknowledge and name it for what it is and have the moral courage to exercise our authority.\u201d<\/p>\n

His perspective on First Amendment rights also could not be more distinct from that of Richard J. Daley, who was Chicago\u2019s mayor during the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago\u2014which is frequently compared to this year\u2019s confab.<\/p>\n

At the 1968 convention, Daley had the convention center surrounded with barbed wire.<\/a> Working 12-hour shifts, police officers clubbed<\/a> protesters with nightsticks. A few months before, during riots arising from Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s assassination, Daley instructed the same police force to \u201cshoot to kill arsonists\u201d and \u201cshoot to maim looters.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

In our interview, Johnson reiterates the role he believes protesters play in a just society\u2014a position diametrically opposed to his 1968 predecessor. \u201cMy existence is not realized if it were not for protest, and protest is the place where the underdogs come together to win on behalf of the voiceless,\u201d Johnson says.<\/p>\n

Yet there are a striking number of similarities between this week\u2019s DNC and the one that took place 56 years ago. In 1968, activists convened at the convention to hold Democrats accountable for their complicity in the Vietnam War; today, protest coalitions are amassing in the city to march against US support of Israel\u2019s bombardment of Gaza. Reminiscent of Biden dropping out and endorsing his vice president to succeed him, incumbent president and early front-runner Lyndon Johnson withdrew from the 1968 race late in the game, enabling his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, to clinch the Democratic nomination. In 2024, a gunman tried to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Albeit unsuccessful, the recent shooting was redolent of the 1968 assassination on Robert F. Kennedy, whose eponymous son is now running for president this year as a controversial independent.<\/p>\n

On the parallels, Johnson says: \u201cHistory doesn\u2019t repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes,\u201d adding that his \u201cpreparation in the context of 1968\u201d has been centered around what Chicago\u2019s present values are.<\/p>\n

Those values, Johnson says, are communicated through an expanded non-police crisis response network for mental health emergencies, a fledgling Department of Re-Entry to support formerly incarcerated individuals in avoiding recidivism, a newly appointed chief homelessness officer,<\/a> and a $150 million outlay<\/a> to manage the thousands of new migrants who have been bussed to Chicago by conservative governors with hard-line immigration views.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese investments were going to happen whether the convention was coming or not,\u201d he says. But an added bonus is that the convention will enable the rest of the country \u201cto see what bold progressive leadership looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the DNC will allow Johnson to flaunt progressive politics to a broader audience and engage in dialogue about how the convention should operate logistically, he is far from having unilateral control. Since at least 2004, presidential nominating conventions have been designated as \u201cNational Special Security Events\u201d (NSSE),<\/a> which has shifted authority away from host city governments to fall under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service.<\/p>\n

The NSSE designation \u201cmakes available the entire toolkit of the federal government to include very sensitive, even classified, resources that the federal government has and can use,\u201d says former FBI assistant director for counterintelligence, Frank Figliuzzi.<\/p>\n

In case something goes awry, \u201cthere\u2019s a clear chain of command,\u201d Figliuzzi says. \u201cIf all hell breaks loose, the feds are in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who exchanged tips with his Chicago counterpart after his city hosted the Republican National Convention in July, maintains that a mayor can play an important role.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe may not be calling the exact shots and leaving that to the decision makers, who are professionals and experts in the field of law enforcement,\u201d says the Milwaukee leader. \u201cBut there\u2019s still considerable involvement from his or her office in executing these sorts of events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given his unique background in organizing and ties to protest groups, Johnson could also serve as an additional line of communication to foster goodwill between protesters and law enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have personally seen mayors weigh in and express their sentiments of, \u2018I want people to have a voice. I want more designated protest platforms,\u2019\u201d adds Figliuzzi. \u201cDoes the chief of police have to listen to all that? Does the Secret Service really care what the mayor thinks? Yeah, they want to hear the mayor out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GettyImages-2161161606
Officers march as the Chicago Police Department offers a look at officer training at McCormick Place on June 6, 2024, in preparation for the Democratic National Convention in August in Chicago.<\/span>Antonio Perez\/Chicago Tribune\/Getty<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Monday and Thursday,<\/span> a coalition of more than 150 like-minded groups is planning to assemble tens of thousands of people for pro-Palestine marches that begin approximately half a mile from the DNC at Union Park.<\/p>\n

The route is shorter than the one the protesters sought, though it will be much closer to the convention site than the city had initially intended. Johnson\u2019s office suggested the 1.4 mile loop<\/a> as an alternative to the city\u2019s original request that the Coalition\u00a0to March on the DNC begin their route almost four miles from the convention\u2019s festivities.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not only a First Amendment issue, but it\u2019s also a chance for the left of the Democrats\u2014which is Brandon Johnson\u2019s constituency\u2014to put pressure on our Democratic leaders.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Hatem\u00a0Abudayyeh, a leader of the protest coalition, applauds Johnson for his help in securing their right to be within \u201csight and sound\u201d of the convention. His help continued on Friday when Johnson personally intervened to rescind strict conditions the city applied to the coalition\u2019s march, including limitations on sound systems and portable restrooms. Johnson\u2019s negotiations<\/a> made the group\u2019s emergency motion about their First Amendment rights moot.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a friend and an ally to all of the social justice movements in Chicago and beyond,\u201d Abudayyeh says.<\/p>\n

Not every protest group agrees Johnson\u2019s advocacy has been sufficient. Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, an organization fighting for reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and an Israel-Palestine ceasefire, expressed that Johnson could have done more to help them secure a permit to march down Michigan Avenue, past the hotels hosting media and delegates, on Sunday before the convention kicks off. They applied for a permit in January, says member Anne Rumberger. It took a lawsuit from the ACLU for the organization to get their march approved in early August.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not only a First Amendment issue, but it\u2019s also a chance for the left of the Democrats\u2014which is Brandon Johnson\u2019s constituency\u2014to put pressure on our Democratic leaders at a national level,\u201d says Rumberger. \u201cHaving some support from him around peacefully demonstrating and peacefully expressing views could have gone a long way if that support could have been part of the permit or appeals process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spokesperson Ed Yohnka of the ACLU\u2019s Illinois chapter says he isn\u2019t convinced city leaders and police are on the same page when it comes to protest response tactics. Yohnka says they have not been assured the Chicago River drawbridges would not be raised to thwart protests, as was the case during the 2020 demonstrations<\/a> responding to the murder of George Floyd.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Johnson\u2019s] background\u2014his history, certainly his instincts\u2014are comforting,\u201d says Yohnka. \u201cBut does that trickle down\u2026 to line officers who are going to be face to face with protesters?\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer to that question is almost certainly imminent. While the Coalition\u00a0to March on the DNC was able to obtain its permit too, the approved route requires them to use certain side streets that the group believes may cause lengthy bottlenecks.<\/p>\n

Whether or not the coalition gets full approval to use the streets they want, Abudayyeh says they will stick to their plans. \u201cWe dotted every \u2018i\u2019 and crossed every \u2018t,\u2019 and if they don\u2019t [approve our plans], we\u2019re still telling people: 12 noon, August 19, Union Park,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve organized a ton of protests over the years without any permits\u2014we know how to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reportedly, a special courtroom has been prepared to process mass arrests. Criminal jury trials have also been re-scheduled for after the DNC, according to News Nation<\/a>, and criminal judges have been told to free up their week in case their services are needed.<\/p>\n

At a July 25 security briefing,<\/a> federal and local law enforcement leaders as well as city and state officials laid out the preparations they\u2019ve made ahead of the convention. According to officials, there will be 2,500 Chicago police officers,<\/a> an additional 500 from out of town<\/a>, plus an array of Secret Service personnel.<\/p>\n

When it was his turn to speak, Johnson told the media \u201cChicago is ready\u201d for its moment in the national political limelight.<\/p>\n

We will soon find out whether the mayor is, too.<\/p>\n

Author: Abby Vesoulis<\/p>\n

Source: https:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/politics\/2024\/08\/chicago-mayor-brandon-johnson-democratic-national-convention-protests\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shortly before Chicago\u2019s 2023 mayoral election, Brandon Johnson appeared at a roundtable attended by the progressive activists and modern-day abolitionists powering his shoestring campaign. 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How Will He Handle Demonstrators at the DNC? - The America Project<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/america-project.org\/index.php\/2024\/08\/17\/chicagos-mayor-owes-his-career-to-activism-how-will-he-handle-demonstrators-at-the-dnc\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chicago\u2019s Mayor Owes His Career to Activism. How Will He Handle Demonstrators at the DNC? - The America Project\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Shortly before Chicago\u2019s 2023 mayoral election, Brandon Johnson appeared at a roundtable attended by the progressive activists and modern-day abolitionists powering his shoestring campaign. 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