An Over-Orchestrated Rebellion: Dispatch From the DNC
William Langewiesche, a writer and pilot, once told me that flying a plane was “90 percent boredom, 10 percent terror.” I might say the same for the “Make it great like ’68! Shut down the [Democratic National Convention] for Gaza!” protest that took place in front of the Israeli consulate in downtown Chicago on Tuesday night. The event was organized by Behind Enemy Lines, and as might be expected from a group whose tagline is “The empire is the enemy. From the belly of the beast, we choose to resist it,” participants arrived carrying resistance-ready banners, flags, and bullhorns.
They arrived when they said they would, 7 p.m. on the dot, after Behind Enemy Lines promoted the protest for weeks on Instagram and provided helpful links on its website. The group’s leaders had also granted many pre-DNC interviews, including with me, explaining how they were real radicals, unlike the namby-pamby March on the DNC crew who’d applied for city permits—lame! If any group in Chicago was ready to let the Democrats know their imperialist and genocidal acts were being watched, and were not afraid to get into it with the cops, it was Behind Enemy Lines.
It was a message they spread perhaps too well, as the 75 or so participants were joined by maybe twice as many press people and six times as many cops. There were cops everywhere, eventually lining every curb and blocking every cross-street—a cop-a-palooza that all but assured the protest would not get out of hand, or not for very long.
This made the whole thing feel kind of staged: a clot of protesters chanting “Intifada revolution!” and “Killer Kamala, what do you say? How many kids did you kill today?” while the press all snapped the same photos (burning flag? Check). Meanwhile, more than two dozen legal observers with the National Lawyers Guild Chicago, recognizable by their fluorescent green caps, monitored police conduct and stood ready to assist any protester in need. There was a lone man waving an Israeli flag, who, at least initially, was neither approached nor harassed by the protesters.
“Is this a little boring?” asked a cameraman. An Irish journalist agreed, and the three of us—having covered more incendiary events in France, Minneapolis, and Portland, respectively—chatted about the days when protests were not announced weeks in advance, but formed spontaneously or were made known through literal samizdat or its digital equivalent. We might have gotten a little nostalgic for times when chats like this were impossible, when you were too busy ducking projectiles, avoiding a stampeding crowd, or covering your face from the tear gas.
There was none of those things here—almost none. The protesters were, if you’ll excuse my vulgarity, what my late ex used to call “young, dumb, and full of cum.” They were horny for confrontation, and if that meant getting in the faces of some of the cops, they’d do it. Which they did, creating a maybe three-minute scuffle during which several protesters were arrested before everybody went back to their places.
It was utterly bizarre—an over-orchestrated rebellion where nothing
Article from Latest
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.