Chicago’s top cop says police are getting training to manage protests during the DNC

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago police are undergoing fresh training on handling large-scale protests and First Amendment rights ahead of anticipated demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention this summer, Superintendent Larry Snelling said Wednesday.

“Everything we are doing is rooted in constitutional policing,” Snelling told reporters at a news conference previewing security preparations. “We want to make sure we maintain peace. We are not going to tolerate the violence.”

Thousands of elected officials and activists are expected to come to the nation’s third-largest city from Aug. 19-22. Snelling, Mayor Brandon Johnson and emergency management officials said they’re finalizing plans for traffic and security around both convention sites, which are the United Center and McCormick Place Convention Center.

Snelling said the Chicago Police Department has looked back at other large-scale events in the city to see what worked, including during the 2012 NATO summit.

Chicago police generally received high marks for the handling of NATO protests. For the DNC, Snelling said the department would again use police on bicycles and officers in “soft” or dressed down uniforms.

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