The protesters walked directly into a large group of police officials, four officers deep, around 7:30 p.m. The officers began to push them the other way and yelled, “Move back, move back.” Scuffles began to break out, and officers wearing helmets moved into the crowd.
A police supervisor eventually declared it an “unlawful assembly.”
“This is an unpermitted event,” a supervisor declared on a bullhorn. “I am giving you a lawful order to disperse. If you do not disperse, you will be placed into custody by the Chicago Police Department.”
A video showed officials trying to keep photographers and legal observers at bay while officers completed an arrest.
Seems like the police were the ones escalating things.