The DNC Begins Monday in Chicago: Here’s What You Need to Know

CHICAGO — More than a year after Chicago was announced as the host city, Democratic National Convention it will start soon.

The convention, which will be held Monday through Thursday, is a major event for national Democrats, who have endured a tumultuous few weeks since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the first Black and Asian American candidate to lead a major party.

Eyes will also be on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker as they look to pull off the massive televised event without a hitch, building on the success of the 1996 Democratic convention and continuing to push aside historical images controversial 1968 DNC.

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And yes, the festivities will likely disrupt the daily rhythm of life for anyone near the convention’s two main venues, the United Center and McCormick Place.

Here’s what you need to know.

What can you expect at the convention?

Traditionally, party leaders meet every four years to nominate the person they want to put at the top of the presidential ticket in November. The Republicans held their convention last month in Milwaukee.

But this year’s DNC has some unusual aspects.

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Typically, the nominee would emerge victorious in primaries across the country in the spring and summer. This year is different for Democrats, as Biden dropped out of the race in July.

Harris, Biden’s vice president, has already been nominated in an online delegate vote to be the Democratic nominee, so there will be no formal, official vote on her nomination at the convention.

Instead, there will be a ceremonial roll call.speeches by party leaders and rising stars, and an introduction by Harris’ recently announced vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. It will be a televised rally of support that will continue Harris’ fundraising and poll dynamics from the last month.

Who will be there and what is the schedule of events?

Nearly every high-profile Democratic Party official will be joined by thousands of delegates and other supporters and volunteers, as well as thousands of media, at the main venues: McCormick Place, south of the Loop, and the United Center on the Near West Side. Organizers also expect thousands of protesters to take to the streets to draw attention to issues that include the war in Gaza.

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There will also likely be a few A-list stars at convention venues and around town. Billie Eilish and Julia Louis-Dreyfus both attended the recent Democratic National Convention, which was mostly virtual due to the pandemic.

The DNC estimates that a total of about 50,000 guests will attend the Chicago convention.

Convention events at the United Center and McCormick Place are not open to the public.

Much of the schedule, including the speaker list, has not yet been announced, though Pritzker, who is scheduled to speak Tuesday, and former President Barack Obama are among those expected to have key spots. The DNC said daytime events and gatherings will largely be held at McCormick Place. Evening events, including keynote speeches and a flurry of events that will likely be televised, will take place at the United Center.

Harris is expected to deliver the convention’s closing remarks on Thursday, while Walz is scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

What steps is the city taking to prepare?

Residents are advised to: download the OEMC Chicago app for the latest information on disruptions around the United Center and McCormick Place.

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Ivan Capifali, acting commissioner of the Chicago Bureau of Business Administration and Consumer Protection, said nearly 1,400 businesses were contacted in the initial survey. Establishments closer to gatherings were resurveyed in the past few weeks, he said.

Beyond the logistical issues surrounding the convention itself, Johnson said the city is prepared for the eventuality of thousands of migrants arriving. come from the southern borderby Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and others.

Recently, the city’s top official dealing with migrant issues said: withdrew from expectations to the enormous influx of migrants. According to a spokesman for the city’s Department of Family and Support Services, no migrant bus has arrived in Chicago since June.

Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said the department has undergone demanding training in both crowd control and First Amendment issues.

City employees have spent months beautifying the city center and making preparations across the city – from sidewalk repairs to fresh signs and better lighting.

What is the plan for the protests?

Johnson Administration proposed that many protesters march west from Union Park, past a diminutive park north of the United Center, and then east back to Union Park. Authorities announced the route after a coalition of pro-Palestinian protest groups sued the city to prevent it from restricting protesters to a two-block strip of Grant Park, far from the United Center.

U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood he ruled that it will not force the City Hall to widen and extend the authorized route, as some protesters demanded.

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Park 578, just north of the United Center, will also function as a “free speech zone,” said Glen Brooks, director of community policing for the Chicago Police Department.

On Friday, in response to last-minute complaints from protesters and negotiations with the city that ultimately ended after Mayor Johnson himself intervened, the city allowed a stage and sound system to be set up for two rallies in Union Park.

Brooks said the latest information about protest routes will be provided through the OEMC app.

Which areas will be most affected?

Neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity of the United Center and McCormick Place will be the most affectedand the security perimeter is established. Complete street closures in the security zones have occurred. The pedestrian-only area around the United Center extends approximately from Washington Boulevard on the north to Adams Street on the south, and from Seeley Avenue on the west to a point between Wood and Paulina streets on the east.

As Jeff Burnside, DNC 2024 coordinator, said, only people with appropriate credentials and “a need to be there” will be allowed to enter this zone.

The vehicle control zone around the United Center extends east and south of the pedestrian-only area for about a block.

McCormick Place also has a pedestrian “red zone” surrounded by high fences and a slightly larger vehicle control zone to the east, west, and north. This larger zone is roughly bounded by Michigan Avenue, 21st Street, and the Stevenson Expressway.

The restrictions at McCormick Place went into effect at 10 p.m. Friday. The area around the United Center went into effect at 7 p.m. Saturday, and streets in that area are scheduled to reopen on Aug. 23.

OEMC spokeswoman Mary May said roadside assistance from OEMC would be provided in the hardest-hit areas.

What are the plans for television broadcasts?

News channels will likely carry most of the best prime-time programming live. Fox News, CNN and MSNBC will broadcast best presenters present at the conventionand Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will host for Fox, and Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper will broadcast from the United Center for CNN.

The DNC will broadcast its own streams on social media and its website, DemConvention.comand also on Amazon Prime Video. Major networks are expected to offer some prime-time coverage. Events will also be available via streaming services.

Plans for ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ broadcast from the Auditorium Theatre downtown throughout the week of the Democratic convention — suggesting that the Emmy-winning former Chicago comedian and Northwestern University graduate plans to feature guests from the United Center on his late-night show.

Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” will also be broadcast from Chicago during the convention, including a live concert on August 22.

How many political conventions have been held in Chicago?

Chicago has hosted 25 major national party conventions, 14 for Republicans and 11 for Democrats, since 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was nominated by the Republicans, according to the Chicago History Museum. This the most of any city in the USand second place went to Baltimore, with hosted 10.