This time, Chicago convention wows the world: 'We finally excised the ghosts of 1968'

Even in a time of elevated political rhetoric, protests and violence did not dictate the events of the Democratic National Convention.

CHICAGO — The whole world was watching, but this time, it liked what it saw. 

No cops clubbing protesters. No convention floor fist fights. No sprawling encampments taking over Grant Park. 

In the end, the city’s four-day convention featured mostly peaceful demonstrations outside the arena. And inside, the convention floor will be remembered more for Lil Jon’s glittering surprise appearance than political disruption.  

Chicago did hold a sometimes forgotten convention in 1996 that went off without a hitch. Still, for months, many pundits predicted a Democratic National Convention in Chicago this year would devolve into a scene out of 1968’s Vietnam era convention held in the city with days of chaos, violence and bloody police clashes with crowds. 

Instead, the more than 50,000 visitors who poured into the city enjoyed sunny skies, a glistening lakefront and a clean and safe downtown. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/chicago-democratic-convention-ghosts-1968-rcna167896

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