The Israeli American Council (IAC) had applied for a permit to hold a rally around the United Center for the Democratic National Convention in June, but the city denied the permit.
“We regret the city’s actions or inaction,” said IAC Executive Director Elan Carr. “We also have the right to represent ourselves.”
According to a denial letter from the Chicago Department of Transportation, the commissioner found that the “planned gathering would be a direct interference with an already planned permitted activity or public gathering,” which would “pose a risk to public safety.”
It also said that “city resources are insufficient to mitigate the disruption caused.”
The city offered an alternative date, time and location for the meeting, but IAC leaders said it was not near the United Center.
This happened after the US Palestinian Community Network held a protest march with thousands of people and hundreds of police officers. They had received a permit from the city.
Instead, the IAC held a demonstration called “Hostage Square” on private property in the West Loop on Madison Street on the way to the convention.
“I really wanted to have an event where we could express the pain that October 7 brought,” said Jeff Aeder, a Chicago business owner who turned to the IAC for help.
Aeder told NBC Chicago Sisk that his friend owned private property and rented it to him for just one dollar.
The exhibition on site features artwork commemorating the victims and hostages taken by Hamas in October.
“Each one breaks a little piece of my heart,” Aeder said.
Andrea Weinstein knows this pain all too well. Her sister and brother-in-law were killed in the October 7 attacks.
“They were attacked by terrorists on motorcycles,” Weinstein said. “Nobody should have to go through this, we want the problem solved as quickly as possible.”
The Israeli military had previously announced that it had recovered the bodies of six hostages from Gaza overnight. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced that Israel had agreed to a US ceasefire proposal currently on the table, but that Hamas had not yet agreed.
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog, spoke about this at an event on Tuesday.
“We are waiting for a yes from Hamas and hope that we can bring the matter to a conclusion,” he said.
According to Palestinian health authorities, 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the Gaza-Israel war.
Blinken said the best way to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians was for Hamas to agree to the deal.
