(NewsNation) — A federal judge will not force the city of Chicago to expand the approved protest route designated for pro-Palestine protesters during the Democratic National Convention.
A coalition of protest groups asked the court to expand the route for a march expected to draw tens of thousands of people.
Chicago officials say they have given protesters more than enough space to exercise their First Amendment rights, but protesters say they will not be deterred in their mission to have their views heard by DNC attendees.
The march on the DNC will begin at Union Park, about a half-mile from the United Center, where the DNC is actually taking place. Organizers will gather 10,000 to 30,000 protesters before heading west on Lake St. under the L tracks.
Protesters say the route, which is a little over a mile, is not long enough. The majority of the route goes under the L tracks, an area that is wide, shaded and mainly commercial, minimizing the possibility that protesters could do damage in residential areas.
The route passes by the outside of the U.S. Secret Service perimeter, the closest protesters will be able to get to the United Center, which is a fair distance away.
The coalition is fighting to get closer because they feel the Democratic Party won’t be able to see and recognize their cause with the current distance.
The route winds back through a residential area to end at Union Park, where it began. Organizers said they have concerns that the area will be overcrowded with protesters and that they could start walking on people’s yards, unintentionally destroying property while they march.
Protest organizers say that given the current distance, it’s possible that the back of the line won’t even have started to march by the time the first protesters make their way back to the park.
While a federal judge ruled that Chicago does not need to alter the route, there are still some details to be finalized, including whether the coalition will be allowed to march in one large group, showing unity outside the DNC, or if it will be required to break up into smaller groups that will have to march one at a time.
Chicago police are also preparing for the protests, with the memory of protests earlier in the year that blocked access to O’Hare Airport top of mind.
The Chicago Police Department said it is prepared for protesters taking over the interstate, noting that it only took about an hour to clear the protesters who blocked O’Hare. In general, police told NewsNation they are preparing for multiple contingency plans and moments of disruption so they are ready to go when the DNC begins next week.