AMANDA, THANKS.

WE'LL CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU AGAIN SHORTLY.

THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN BRACING FOR THE DNC FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WORK THAT RAMPED UP AFTER IT BECAME CLEAR THE PROTESTS FOCUS ON THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR WOULD TEST THE DEPARTMENT'S ABILITY TO KEEP THE PEACE AND PROTECT EVERYONE'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

TODAY, POLICE SUPERINTENDENT LARRY LARRY SNELLING SAYING HIS DEPARTMENT NOT ONLY PASSED THAT TEST BUT PROVED CPD HAS ENTERED A NEW ERA.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE.

NEARLY 60 PEOPLE INTO CUSTODY.

MINIMAL INJURIES.

TELLS YOU THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT IS TRANSFORMATIVE.

THIS IS THE TRANSFORMATION OF WHAT YOU SAY.

PLEASE REPORT THAT.

LET'S GET OFF OF 1968.

LET'S STOP TALKING ABOUT 1968.

THIS IS 2024.

HEATHER SHARON JOINS US NOW FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED CENTER WITH A LOOK AT TODAY'S AFTERMATH FROM A VIOLENT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN OFFICERS AND A GROUP THAT CITY OFFICIALS SAID WAS DETERMINED TO WREAK HAVOC.

TELL US ABOUT THE GROUP THAT CALLS ITSELF BEYOND ENEMY LINES.

WELL, THEY SAID THEIR GOAL WAS TO SHUT DOWN THE DNC TO MAKE THEIR POINT THAT THE WAR IN GAZA MUST END IMMEDIATELY.

NOW THEY DIDN'T COME CLOSE TO DOING THAT.

BUT CITY OFFICIALS SAID THAT THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS A FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTED ACTIVITY THAT THEY PLAN TO ENGAGE IN VIOLENT CONFRONTATION WITH OFFICERS AND THAT CPD A HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO STEP UP AND PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.

AND LARRY SNELLING SAID TODAY THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HIS OFFICERS DID AND THAT HE COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THEM.

HEATHER, WHAT HAPPENED WHEN MEMBERS OF THE GROUP REFUSED A POLICE ORDER TO LEAVE THE AREA AROUND THE ISRAELI CONSULATE?

WELL, THAT MEANT THAT SUPERINTENDENTS, NELLY DECLARED A MASS ARRESTS IMPLEMENTING A NEW POLICY DEVELOPED JUST FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.

THAT MAKES ARRESTS A LAST RESORT AND ONLY IN THE CASE OF A POTENTIAL THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

THOSE CONDITIONS WERE MET.

AND THAT IS WHY 56 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED.

NOW, NOT ALL OF THEM WERE CHARGED WITH CRIMES.

MOST WERE CITED AND RELEASED.

BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TEST OF THAT POLICY, WHICH TRUE MAJOR BLOWBACK FROM POLICE REFORM GROUPS WHO SAID THAT IT COULD LEAD TO VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS LIKE THE ONES WE SAW DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020.

BUT LARRY SNELLING SAID, NOPE, THE POLICY WORKED.

THE OFFICERS FOLLOWED THEIR TRAINING AND THE RULES AND ALL WAS CALL.

HEATHER.

WAS ANYONE INJURED DURING THE CONFRONTATION?

YES, AS WE HEARD THE SUPERINTENDENT SAY THERE WERE MINIMAL INJURIES TO PEOPLE WHO WERE ARRESTED HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, ONE SUFFERING FROM KNEE PAIN, THE OTHER WITH A FINGER INJURY.

THERE ARE ALSO 2 OFFICERS THAT WERE INJURED, BUT THEY REFUSED MEDICAL ATTENTION AND STAYED WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES TO QUELL THE PROTEST.

HOWEVER, THAT IS A FAR CRY FROM WHAT WE SAW.

AS I SAID DURING THE SUMMER OF 2020.

AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING A LOT ABOUT FROM SUPERINTENDENTS KNOWING ASSUMING THAT THE REST OF THE CONVENTION CONTINUES WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS.

AND MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON WAS ASKED ABOUT THE PROTESTS THIS AFTERNOON AT A PANEL THAT WAS HOSTED BY CNN AND POLITICO.

HERE'S A BIT OF THAT.

WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT I PROMISE WAS A SAFE AND VIBRANT CONVENTION.

AND THAT'S JUST WHAT WE HAVE PROTECTING THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR DEMOCRACY.

PROTESTS.

WE'RE WE'RE NOT MAYORS OF CITY, THE CITIES WITHOUT WE'RE GOING TO PROTECT THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO HAVE GRIEVANCE.

AND HEATHER, WE WE HEARD FROM OUR OWN JOANNA HERNANDEZ EARLIER FROM ANOTHER PRO PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTS THAT TOOK PLACE EARLIER TODAY.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE CROWD MARCHED TOWARD THE UNITED CENTER?

WELL, IT WAS STILL PEACEFUL.

NOW THERE WERE SOME TENSE MOMENTS AS PROTESTERS WANTED TO MOVE TOWARDS THE CTA L STATION THAT JUST OPENED AT DAMON.

BUT PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO INTERVENE AND TO KEEP THINGS MOVING ALONG.

JUST A VERY DIFFERENT PROTEST.

ONE THAT DREW FAMILIES FROM MOSQUES ALL OVER THE CHICAGO LAND AREA THAT WAS, IN FACT PROTECTED FIRST AMENDMENT EXPRESSION AND AS THE POLICE AND MAYOR JOHNSON HAVE SAID THAT SORT OF ACTIVITY, THEY WILL ALLOW TO GO FORWARD AND ENSURE THAT IT