DOZENS of Palestine solidarity demonstrators were arrested on Tuesday in a police clampdown during a protest that began outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago on the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

The confrontations began minutes into the demonstration, after some protesters were blocked from marching by the police.

They eventually moved past the officers, but were penned in several times throughout the night by police in riot gear who did not allow protesters to disperse.

The Chicago chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, which provided legal observers for Tuesday’s protests, said that at least 72 people were arrested.

A large portion of the arrests happened at the end of the night, as police pinned the remaining demonstrators in a plaza and blocked them from leaving. 

Police Superintendent Larry Snelling denied that police had “kettled” protesters, a tactic that involves corralling demonstrators in a confined area.

Superintendent Snelling claimed: “We have people who showed up here to commit acts of violence. They wanted chaos.”

The atmosphere with rows of police in riot gear was a stark contrast to a day earlier when thousands of pro-Palestinian activists marched near the convention site calling for a ceasefire.

The Israeli consulate has been the site of numerous demonstrations since the war in Gaza began in October. 

Mohammed Ismail, a psychiatry resident who lives in Chicago, described the police presence as “excessive,” and questioned why the group had been blocked from marching. He said he joined the protest to urge Democrats to cease funding to Israel.

“It’s not right that we’re sending our tax money to fund an ongoing slaughter, an ongoing genocide,” Ismail said. “We’re a part of this conflict because our money is paying for it.”

Israeli-American Council chief executive Elan Carr condemned the pro-Palestinian protesters who have descended on Chicago this week, calling them “fringe crazies.”

More protests are planned throughout the week.