CHICAGO — Donald Trump will make his first trip to Chicago since becoming president Monday morning.
President Trump is scheduled to visit Trump Tower for a lunchtime fundraiser Monday, and city officials are asking people to plan for traffic and parking headaches from planned protests in the area.
“We think that we’re going to have a massive crowd there, we’re expecting a lot of different groups,” said organizer Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, Indivisible Illinois.
Indivisible Illinois and Indivisible Chicago are organizing demonstrations at Trump Hotel downtown at 11:30 a.m. Monday, where the president is scheduled to attend a the luncheon.
The fundraiser will be co-hosted by Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts, who is also the finance chair of the Republican National Committee.
The tower bearing Trump’s name has been the setting for several large protests on a variety of issues, from climate change to immigration to gun violence prevention.
“He is not welcome in Chicago and we are standing together to say we are against his hateful administration. We are standing up to fight for our democracy at this time, this is not a time to sit out,” Manaa-Hoppenworth said.
The president will also speak to officers at the International Association of Chiefs of Police meeting at McCormick Place Monday, but CPD Supt. Eddie Johnson says he will not attend, citing the president’s divisive rhetoric. The conference has been taking place since Saturday.
There will be up to 1,800 extra officers on the street during the presidential visit. Barricades have already been set up to control the expected crowds downtown, and officials are warning residents and loop workers of traffic delays and parking headaches.
Loyola University Professor Arthur Lurigio says such large protests should be expected with a polarizing president coming to politically hostile territory.
“Chicago’s a blue city. It’s been a blue city for a long time,” Lurigio said.“It’s not a red (Republican) city. It has its political roots deeply established within the Democratic party, and people when they hear criticism about the city take it personally,” Lurigio said.
