(MintPress) – Since protests for NATO began in Chicago, at least 18 protesters in NATO-related demonstrations, including four men arrested Wednesday on terrorism charges and around six on Saturday, have been arrested.
Most of these arrests were misdemeanors.
Police reportedly arrested at least eight activists in an apartment complex without justification Wednesday. According to a local news outlet in Chicago, police did not provide journalists any details on the case. Instead, authorities are denying any arrests were made at all.
Witnesses in the case, however, allege that officers broke down doors to the apartment and searched rooms without a warrant before arresting several people.
“The Chicago Police Department has basically disappeared as many as eight activists,” said Kris Hermes, a spokesman for the National Lawyers Guild. He added, “There’s absolutely no evidence of wrongdoing.”
Also on Wednesday, three protesters were arrested ahead of the NATO summit in connection to a possible terror attack.
Police arrested the men in an apartment complex for allegedly plotting acts of terrorism, including making bombs and targeting Barack Obama’s re-election headquarters and the home of Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s mayor.
The suspects, Brian Church, 22, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Jared Chase, 27, of Keene, NH and Brent Betterly, 24, from Massachusetts, claim that police officers were trying to entrap them by encouraging the suspected terror attack.
Bail was set at $1.5 million for each of the three at a hearing Saturday. They will return to court Tuesday.
Following that even, a Chicago man was charged Saturday on terrorism charges and making a false threat for purportedly plotting to build a Molotov cocktail to use at the summit. He was charged with one count of terrorism Saturday afternoon and is scheduled to appear in court today.
Additionally, on Saturday night, nearly 1,000 protesters marched through the Loop in Chicago demonstrating against NATO.
Protesters filled the sidewalks and the normally-busy streets. For the most part, police officers on bikes or in riot gear allowed demonstrators to remain in the streets.
However, at least one protester was allegedly hit by a police van as it was driving in the middle of the street. Police officers claim the van was swarmed and that other officers were targeted throughout the day.
Clashes with police continued in Chicago throughout Saturday night as protestors marched down State Street.
Larger protests are planned for today.