Pro-Israel Event and Pro-Palestinian Protest Clash in Skokie: Chaos Erupts, Two Men Arrested
SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) — A pro-Israel event and a pro-Palestinian protest in Skokie turned violent on Sunday, resulting in chaos and the arrest of two men by the police.
Inside an event space, hundreds of people had gathered for a show of solidarity with Israel. Outside, pro-Palestinian supporters had organized a protest against the event. Tensions escalated quickly, with skirmishes between the two groups becoming increasingly volatile.
The organizer of the pro-Palestinian rally claimed to have witnessed someone firing a gun, but Skokie police have not yet confirmed these allegations. However, authorities did acknowledge that three individuals, including a Chicago police officer, were pepper-sprayed during the protest.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing police responding to the disturbance and eventually tackling an individual to the ground. Two men were subsequently taken into custody by law enforcement. Their identities have been withheld, and their faces were blurred in ABC7’s coverage.
Simultaneously, inside the Ateras Ayala venue in Skokie, Yinam Cohen, the Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, addressed a crowd of hundreds who had gathered to express their support for Israel. He condemned the recent deadly Hamas attacks, stating that “over 30 Israeli communities have been destroyed, making it the deadliest killing of Jews since the Holocaust.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian supporters outside the venue were forced to relocate their demonstration, as police set up a perimeter around the shopping plaza on Touhy Avenue. Only individuals with event tickets were allowed within the premises, further fueling tensions and leaving the protesters positioned yards away from the entrance.
“We’re going to make the best out of it as much as we can, but this is not where we wanted to be. We should have the right to be within sight and sound,” expressed Hatem Abudayyeh, the USPCN National Chair.
According to law enforcement, one person was initially arrested during the clashes but was subsequently released without charges. In connection with the pepper spray incident, a second individual is now under investigation and remains in police custody.
The Skokie Police Department is continuing to investigate all aspects of the altercation, including the alleged gun firing. They have called for calm and cooperation from both sides involved in the incident.