Chicago DNC protesters breach security fence near where Bidens set to appear

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- As the Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago on Monday, police already have arrested several demonstrators, including some who breached a security fence.

Protesters broke through the barricades on the north side of the United Center on Monday afternoon. On Sunday, a man and woman were arrested during a protest march.

Four people were arrested on Monday, ABC reported .

Chicago police officers in riot gear were called to handle the situation as Capitol Police wearing gas masks were in the area, WLS-TV reported . They formed a barricade to block the breached fence and pulled protesters from the fencing inside the secured area.

Iron fencing panels were restored and the inner perimeter was not breached, police said.

No skirmishes or scuffles broke out.

The largest protest group, the Coalition to March on the DNC, have demonstrations planned for the convention's first and last days, with thousands of activists, including students, expected to show up in protest of Israel's war in Gaza , according to The Hill .

Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations, said about 15,000 people were at a rally Monday in Union Park, near the convention site.

The city has designated Union Park as a protest site . It includes a stage, a sound system and portable toilets but tents are not allowed.

Protesters included native Chicagoans. Ken Justus, 68, who rode his bicycle, brandished a "Swing Left" sign and sleigh bells. Nevertheless, Justus said he plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris .

"I want to make sure we still have a government," he told ABC News. His motto: "Vote blue no matter who."

Nearby, a coalition of nearly two dozen women from Indiana represent Jewish Voices for Peace. National board member Malkah Bird, 45, said they to put pressure on the White House "no matter who is in office."

"We want our money reinvested in the U.S. to help our communities and not used to bomb Palestinians," Bird said.

Two Chicago aldermen, Carlos Ramierz-Rosa and Byron Sigcho-Lopez, marched through the streets of Chicago's West Side from Union Park toward the United Center.

They then marked back to Union Park for another rally.

On Sunday, the nearly four-hour-long "Bodies Outside Unjust Laws" march was seen going from Michigan Avenue to the loop in Chicago's Grant Park.

The protest, organized by a coalition, largely called on Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee, for action on Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Chicago police arrested an unidentified 23-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man in the 600 block of Wabash Avenue, where the mostly peaceful event first began. They were charged with misdemeanors for alleged defacement of property and allegedly resisting/obstructing an officer.

Local officials previously said that the city was bracing for scores of protests for various causes expected to blanket the Windy City while the Democrats are in town. Several different activist groups have demanded action on reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ issues and a cease-fire in the Israel- Hamas war.

On Friday, Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled a new police helicopter and the $11 million Bell 429 twin-engine helicopter is expected to be busy during the coming days with as many as 25,000 extra people possibly expected to arrive to protest in the streets. This is expected to come in addition to the 50,000 convention attendees also expected.

Many protesters likely are to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. The Chicago area is home to the largest Palestinian population in the United States.

The National Lawyers Guild says it has set up a hotline and trained about 150 lawyers and law students who are ready to assist individuals in protest-related arrests at the DNC.

Recently, U.S. Northern Illinois District Judge Andrea Wood ruled that the current protest route near the convention's site at the United Center gives demonstrators a chance to "speak near their intended audience" and does not violate their First Amendment rights, even though the organizers had wanted to march closer to the United Center.

Meanwhile, 30 DNC delegates elected to represent the "uncommitted" vote at the DNC say no endorsement for Harris will be given without assurances her administration will embrace an arms embargo on Israel.

The DNC will meet this week through Thursday with planned night-time activities at the United Center in downtown and daytime events at McCormick Place about five miles away