Mayor Johnson on DNC: Chicago hosted the ‘best convention this country has ever seen’

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday applauded the city’s employees, first responders and police officers and said the just-concluded Democratic National Convention was “the best convention this country has ever seen.”

“We are the city that works, and we work because of our working people,” he said at City Hall press conference flanked by members of the U.S. Secret Service, the Office of Emergency Management & Communications and the city’s police department.

Johnson said the convention brought 50,000 visitors and millions of dollars in investments to the city, and he added that the shadow cast by the convention 56 years ago is no more.

“If the 1968 convention went down in history as the example of police brutality, then the 2024 convention will go down as the example of constitutional policing,” he said.

Police Supt. Larry Snelling said protest crowds hovered between 3,000 to 4,000 people, far lower than the tens of thousands predicted early on by protest organizers.

By the numbers, Snelling said there were about 74 arrests over the four days of the convention, all related to demonstrations. Four people were hospitalized for medication reasons, he said. Three other people were treated for minor injuries, including a finger injury and knee pain. Snelling said some officers were injured but added that they refused treatment because they didn’t want to leave colleagues behind.

“I cannot say enough about the work that our officers did out there. We watched these officers go through it. We saw people yelling in their faces, yelling obscenities, and they didn’t take the bait,” he said.

And while officers had their hands full containing protesters, Snelling said numbers show it didn’t come at the cost of a crime surge in the city.

Police report that shootings were down 27 percent this week compared to the same week last year. The number of homicides dropped 31 percent, robberies were cut in half, and carjackings also dropped by double digits.

The Secret Service said that for a convention of the size, there was no better partner than the city of Chicago.

“I have been saying for most of the past year the city of Chicago is a pro at putting on large scale events — Lollapalooza, the Chicago Marathon and NASCAR — and now we can add the 2024 Democratic national convention to that list,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer.

Removal of security fencing, re-opening of roads begins

Crews have already begun the process of taking down the security fencing around the perimeter of the United Center, a welcome relief to nearby residents after days of major impacts living in the middle of the action.

“It was kind of wild, you didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Daniel Ramirez, a recent resident to the Near West Side, having moved to the neighborhood in May.

Ramirez said living steps from the United Center gave him a front row seat to history but that is also came at a cost for residents in the area. Between traffic impacts and protests that drew thousands marching from Union Park to the security perimeter in front of his home. He recognized those who came to share their message and make their voices heard, but said he also saw people who appeared to come looking for trouble.

Ramirez added that he’s been impressed by the way the city handled the convention and has watched crews cleaning up since the moment the event ended. While some trash still litters the ground, he said things look much better than they did Thursday night.

Streets in the area of the McCormick Place and the United Center began reopening early Friday morning. All major intersections near the McCormick Place are scheduled to be cleared by 3 p.m. and the I-55 offramp will reopen.

OEMC has released additional timeline for reopening areas over the weekend:

McCormick Place

Sunday, August 25

• 6 a.m. – Cermak from Michigan to Indiana will be clear.
• 8 a.m. – All area open and 75% of assets cleared off curbs.

Monday, August 26

• 6 a.m. – 100% of assets removed – area completely reopened.

United Center

Saturday, August 24

• Noon – Damen, Wood, and Adams open (if possible)
• Most major intersections cleared for traffic.

Sunday, August 25

• 11:59 p.m. – All areas open & 75% of assets cleared off curbs

Monday, August 26

• 11:59 p.m. – All assets removed, reopen complete.

The Democratic National Convention in Chicago concluded Thursday night with Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the party’s nomination to the land’s highest office.

DNC Highlights:

Chicago has hosted Democrats 12 times, the last being nearly 30 years ago when President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second term.

WGN Cover Story: Why Chicago has hosted more presidential conventions than any other city.

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