More than 50 people were arrested in Lake View during the overnight hours after the Chicago Pride Parade, police said.
Chicago Police ordered the “mass arrest” around 1:20 a.m. in the 3000 block of North Clark Street. Fifty-three people were arrested, including nine juveniles, and four guns were recovered.
In a post on Twitter, Chicago Police said officers had objects thrown at them and multiple cops were injured. The officers also worked 12-hour shifts and had their days off canceled to ensure there were enough cops to manage the parade and celebrations that occur afterward.
Of those arrested, 14 people, including four boys, were charged with felonies ranging from aggravated battery of police officers and transit employees to possession of weapons, police said.
Another 24 people were charged with various misdemeanors including reckless conduct, battery, assault, resisting or obstructing an officer and criminal damage to property, police said. Twelve others were issued citations for obstruction of traffic and disorderly conduct.
Charges are pending against two other people, and one more person was arrested for an issuance of a warrant, police said.
The arrests happened nearly 12 hours after the Chicago Pride Parade, which saw a number of changes this year aimed at reducing its strain on city resources.
“The Pride Parade yesterday was a safe and wonderful celebration of our diverse LGBTQ+ community, and it was such a joy to see so many people come out to show their support in the fight for equality,” local Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th Ward) said in an emailed statement. “Following the parade’s conclusion, I was extremely disappointed to see disruptive actions in our neighborhood into the early morning hours.”
Lake View has grappled with large crowds and other disturbances in the late-night hours after the Pride Parade for years. Last year, the Sun-Times reported that teenagers had taken over the streets near the Belmont CTA Station in Lake View. In 2022, three people were shot and another three were stabbed in Lake View in the late hours after that year’s parade, according to a report from Block Club Chicago.
In a pre-parade press conference held June 28, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said the department was focused on ensuring safety throughout the entire parade day, but especially focused on curtailing any violence or other disturbances in the late-night hours.
“We’ve seen this parade in the past, and people just go there to have a good time and the parade goes off well,” Snelling said. “However, what we’re concerned about more than anything else is what occurs late into the night after the parade.”
However, the disturbances did not start until long after the Chicago Pride Parade, which PrideChicago, a volunteer-led group that organizes the annual celebration, said went off without a hitch.
“The Chicago Pride Parade, which ended safely at 2 p.m., was full of celebration and joy,” the PrideChicago organizers said in a statement. “Our all-volunteer organization is humbled by the overwhelming positive feedback we’ve received from participants and spectators, who were part of the parade festivities during the day.”
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