A pro-Israel group claims its requests to march near the Democratic National Convention later this month have been repeatedly ignored by the city of Chicago. All the while, they say an anti-Israel group has been given the "green light" to hold demonstrations near the event.
"It seems like we don’t have equitable access to whatever the other group was approved for," Aya Shechter, chief programming officer for the Israeli-American Council (IAC), told Jewish Insider. "We didn’t get any offer to do a march, not even in an alternative location."
The nonprofit organization which works to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, told Jewish Insider it submitted two applications with Chicago's Department of Transportation in early July but has not received an answer, even after following up with their office.
The city previously denied a permit request filed by the IAC in June to hold a stationary protest within "sight and sound" of the convention.
A man carries two Israeli flags during a pro-Israel rally outside of the Israeli Embassy on October 8, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
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In the rejection letter obtained by Jewish Insider, the city claimed that because the demonstration coincided with the DNC, the IAC's demonstration would "create public safety issues" due to there not being "sufficient city resources" to "secure an assembly at the location for the dates and times requested."
The city offered the group an alternative location for the stationary protest at a park two to three blocks away from the United Center on the evening of the final night of the convention. However, the IAC rejected this offer, saying it was too far away from the convention.
The city of Chicago is also embroiled in legal battles with anti-Israel activists who seek to hold their own protests near the convention hall. A coalition of anti-Israel protesters filed a federal lawsuit against the city claiming their First Amendment rights were being violated after officials reportedly blocked their permit requests to march within "sight and sound" of the convention.
Last week, Mayor Brandon Johnson's office reportedly offered these protesters a route "adjacent" to the United Center where the convention is being held, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Anti-Israel protesters have reportedly been offered a protest route adjacent to the United Center, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
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The Israeli American Council said that it was "deeply disappointed" by it saw as an imbalanced approach by the city to the two groups of protesters.
"The Israeli American Council (IAC) is deeply disappointed by the City of Chicago's ongoing delays in processing our request to hold a solidarity march during the Democratic National Convention. It is concerning that while our applications have been pending without resolution, the city has already granted permission for a pro-Palestinian coalition to demonstrate near the convention," the group said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"This lack of timely response and equitable access suggests an uneven playing field, especially when our goal is to peacefully raise awareness about the U.S. citizens affected by the October 7 attacks and those still held hostage by Hamas as well as the unbreakable bond between Israel and the US. Our hope was to provide a counterbalance to the anti-Israel rhetoric expected at the convention, and it is frustrating to see our efforts hindered by bureaucratic delays."
"We are committed to finding creative ways to get our message across and stand in solidarity with Israel, even if the city continues to stall our permit requests," the statement continued.
When reached for comment, the city of Chicago denied that permits to protest near the United Center had been issued.
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A pro-Israel group is seeking to hold a march near the Democratic National Convention but says its permit requests have been ignored. (YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images))
"The City of Chicago fully supports the rights of individuals and groups to safely exercise their First Amendment right to protest. While ongoing litigation prevents us from commenting on specific details about the route or assembly area, we can confirm that demonstrators will be able to protest within sight and sound of the United Center. No Assembly or Parade permits near the United Center or McCormick place have been issued at this time," the city of Chicago wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The political affiliation of a group is not a factor when reviewing permit applications," the statement continued. "Per municipal code, parade permit applications are reviewed by multiple City departments to identify any potential conflicts, safety issues, and to assess the availability of resources necessary to support the gathering. When a permit is denied, the applicant is given an alternative route per the requirements of city ordinance that allows the parade to proceed while accounting for police resources, security, safety, and other additional factors."
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