• The City of Chicago strongly supports the rights of individuals and groups to safely assemble and express their First Amendment rights. The Chicago Department of Transportation issues permits for marches, processions, or similar activity taking place on public streets, sidewalks, or other areas of the public right of way.
• 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.
• If you’re organizing a procession that requires a street closure or rerouting of vehicular traffic, you must apply for a Parade permit.
• The application, which requires a $50 non-refundable processing fee, is available here.
• If you’re organizing a public assembly taking place on the sidewalk that will impede pedestrian traffic but not require a street closure or traffic reroute, you must notify CDOT so that the city can make any needed preparations to provide personnel or other city services to minimize the obstruction to pedestrian and other traffic.
• The Notification of Public Assembly is available here.
• Applications and notifications should be submitted in person at the Department of Transportation – Division of Infrastructure Management Permit
  office which is located at:

121 North LaSalle Street

City Hall – Room 905

Chicago, Illinois 60602

Permit office hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

• Each application that is submitted is evaluated based on the specific details of the proposed routes and any events happening concurrently in the city.
• 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.

The City of Chicago reaffirms its strong support for the rights of individuals and organizations to safely assemble and lawfully exercise their First Amendment rights during the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). To honor this commitment, the City, through the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), will provide a speaker’s platform and sound amplification equipment near the United Center from August 19-22, 2024.

CDOT will begin accepting applications for time slots to use the City provided speaking platform, which will be located in or near Park 578 (1919 W Maypole Ave), on Tuesday, August 6th at 9:00 a.m. and will close the application window on Saturday, August 10th at 5:00 p.m. 

To request a timeslot to use the City provided speaking platform during the DNC, please complete the following  DNC Speakers Platform Request Form form linked here and email it to this address: DNCspeakingrequest@cityofchicago.org.

The speaking slots will be 45 minutes in length and will begin at the top of the hour starting at 11:00am, with the final slot beginning at 6:00 p.m. each day.  Please note applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. However, priority will be given to groups that have previously applied for a parade permit or assembly permit near the United Center on one of the following dates: August 19th 2024, August 20th 2024, August 21st 2024, August 22nd 2024.  Each speaker/organization will receive one time slot.  You may list as many alternate time slots as you like.  Once a time slot is awarded you will be sent confirmation of your approved time slot. The full list of rules can be found in the following DNC Sound Stage Regulations document. 

In addition to the speaking platform in Park 578, demonstrators will be able to march within sight and sound of the United Center. Route details will be provided once ongoing litigation is resolved.

Outside LEAs from Illinois as well as from the Milwaukee Police Department will be utilized solely in a security capacity at facilities and events associated with the DNC. These officers will not be assigned patrol duties or answer calls for service in the City of Chicago. The use of these officers will allow CPD members to continue to serve in their districts and to respond to calls for service. The outside officers will receive training on CPD policies, be equipped with body-worn cameras, and will be accompanied by CPD members. Officers from other jurisdictions must be duly licensed or certified and in good standing with their home department. Based on training, experience, and physical fitness, these officers must be qualified and capable of performing the duties assigned to them. These officers cannot have been adjudicated as liable for a First Amendment violation within the last three years, and have no sustained complaints for excessive, unreasonable, or unnecessary use of force within the last five years. Any allegations of misconduct that arise during the DNC will be investigated by the officer’s home jurisdiction with the assistance of the CPD; however, if the allegation involves criminal conduct, the matter would be referred directly to an external LEA for investigation. All outside officers will meet at an initial roll call location, be transported to their assigned locations, be transported from their assigned locations, and hold final daily debriefings at a non-public location. Outside officers will not be on patrol in Chicago and will not hold debriefings in public places. No deputies from Sangamon County will be utilized during the DNC.

CPD’s goal is protect the safety of everyone, both those individuals engaged in First Amendment activities and members of the public. CPD’s goal is not to make arrests, but rather to seek voluntary compliance. When safe and feasible to do so, CPD will give individuals the opportunity to comply before making any arrests and will isolate the "bad actors." CPD cannot provide a list of actions that will or will not result in arrest but the types of activity that could lead to arrest involve risk of harm to people or property such as assault and battery, throwing things, breaking windows, and destroying property. As the Superintendent has previously stated, obstructing traffic is not protected First Amendment activity, particularly where it blocks access to hospitals, emergency vehicles, public transportation, etc. and such conduct could lead to arrest. CPD will enforce the permitted routes because these routes allow for pre-planning of resources and the ability to allow access to medical facilities, streets, and other public places but to the extent possible will allow individuals to voluntarily comply before any arrests are made.

CPD has revised its policies and procedures following the events of 2020 and in response to certain after-action reports, including one by the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General. The purpose of the CMA policy is to ensure that CPD has the appropriate procedures and resources to respond to a situation in which multiple arrests may be necessary and still ensure public safety. The CMA policy does not supersede or replace any other CPD policies and does not require or justify arrests. The CMA policy merely sets out processes and procedures to be followed in order to ensure that CPD members can respond appropriately and maintain public safety. CPD members have received extensive training on the CMA policy in preparation for the DNC. CPD does not anticipate that outside law enforcement officers would be involved in this process as those officers are assigned to security functions only.

CPD members have been trained on the “Pre-Trial Fairness Act,” including mandatory and discretionary “cite and release” rather than arrest and transport. In order to be eligible for “cite and release,” CPD must be able to verify an individual’s identity by a government issued ID. Additionally, CPD must consider the offense committed and public safety issues including a return to the criminal conduct if the person were released on scene. If CPD makes arrests and transports individuals, those individuals will be given three telephone calls once they arrive at the station. Individuals transported to the station will be processed and may be released after processing without the need to appear in court. A telephone number will be designated for all DNC arrests in addition to the standard Central Booking phone number for all other routine arrests. CPD does not anticipate that outside law enforcement officers will be involved in arrests. CPD anticipates that arrests and “cite and release” will be handled by CPD members.

All law enforcement officers (CPD and outside) will be equipped with body worn cameras (BWC) and will operate those cameras consistent with Illinois law. Neither CPD’s BWCs nor CPD’s drones utilize facial recognition software. CPD will not be utilizing any “jammers” or “Stingray” technology at the DNC.

The Cook County States Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) and the Prosecutions Division of the City of Chicago Department of Law (DOL) are two separate prosecuting entities with different jurisdiction, and they act independently of each other. If, after review by DOL, sufficient evidence exists that an individual violated a City ordinance, the City may prosecute the ordinance violation regardless of what CCSAO decides to do.

Only unforeseen, exigent, and extraordinary circumstances would lead to bridges downtown being raised, curfews being imposed, or public transportation being suspended.