The third straight day of protests at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) brought an escalation in disruption, persistence, and arrests, as well as a shift of focus to the Israeli consulate on Tuesday. Around three hours of physical confrontations resulted in 55-60 arrests, according to Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling. The anti-Israel demonstrators “showed up with the intent of committing acts of violence, vandalism. That was their intent,” he said.

At last, the radical street activists got the tussle with cops they have been hoping for all week, at a “rally” appropriately named “Make it Great Like 68!” But, to achieve this confrontation, they had to find a target other than the heavily secured Democratic National Convention, where police erected a third fence after Monday’s perimeter breach.

Indeed, in the early afternoon, the DNC’s designated protest area at Union Park, staging ground for the earlier protest, was completely deserted. Even with a “make-shift stage & big speakers” provided by the city, not a protestor was in sight. It was the calm before the storm.

Led by Behind Enemy Lines, which NBC News calls “a leftist group with militant leanings,” activists had planned the Tuesday protest to begin at 7 p.m. in front of the Israeli consulate, located in an office building approximately 1.7 miles east of the DNC. Chicago Police assembled in force ahead of time to prevent the protestors from doing any damage to the consulate.

Protestors soon flooded the street, chanting for intifada, while fully masked speakers (with dark glasses) opined against Israel with the freedom that only comes with anonymity. To the east of the Israeli embassy, a pro-Israel counter-protest had formed, bearing posters with a picture of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and chanting “bring them home,” referring to the hostages captured by Hamas on October 7 who have still not been released, including a number of American citizens. At one point, a pro-Hamas activist responded by chanting, “kill another settler now,” referring to Jews who live in Judea and Samaria.

Around 7:30 p.m., riot police arrived and formed a thin, blue line between the two groups. One group waved Palestinian and communist flags, while the other group waved Israeli and American flags; one group sang “God Bless America,” and the other chanted “Intifada.” There the two groups stood, like the Israelites and Philistines at the Battle of Elah (1 Samuel 17:2-3), close enough to shout at one another, but not close enough to engage.

Before long, however, the anti-Israel demonstrators determined to be the aggressors. They marched directly at the line of Chicago police officers and attempted to break through. The astonishing maneuver utterly failed in the face of superior police numbers, and in response the Chicago police pushed the anti-Israel protestors far down the street to the west. The police also made multiple arrests against those who most distinguished themselves in this ill-fated charge, wrestling at least seven or eight activists to the ground in less than 90 seconds, as one video shows. There ensued another standoff between the factions, which continued for 20 minutes or longer.

During this time, the anti-Israel crowd staged a display that was both anti-Israel and anti-America. With lighter fluid brought for the purpose, they burned a “hybrid Israeli-American flag” on the ground. They then threw an American flag onto the smoldering ashes of the first and proceeded to torch it also, once again evoking their anti-American tantrum near the U.S. Capitol in July.

Upon seeing the stars and stripes thus disgraced, one journalist who was present exchanged his journalist hat for a patriot hat. “Not old glory!” he cried, leaping to retrieve it from the flames. But it was no good. Multiple demonstrators blocked his approach and shoved him forcefully away. “F--- this country! Burn it down! Burn it down” taunted one young man with face and eyes covered. Another man, who had likewise concealed his identity, turned the incident into an object lesson over the loudspeaker. “The only acceptable American flag is one that is burned and charred,” he declared.”

While speaking at the DNC late Monday night, President Joe Biden said to a national audience, “Those protesters out in the street, they have a point.” Listening to the protestors, they seem to hate America (and especially Israel) just as much as they care for Gaza (or actually Hamas).

Once it grew dark, the police attempted to funnel the mob away from the consulate. Some demonstrators clashed with police, resulting in several arrests. Others fanned out into the city, “and began marching on an improvised route through downtown Chicago,” reported NBC News. “They marched on some streets where traffic had not been blocked, at one point engulfing a taxicab with passengers inside it.”

The radical column zigged and zagged to evade police blockades, but the police steadily corralled them back together. “Several times, police in riot gear would halt the forward progress of the protest, escort media members from the crowd, make a handful of arrests and order remaining protesters to leave before they allowed the dwindling crowd to continue forward,” NBC described. The protestors fought with officers and at one point succeeded in freeing an agitator who had been arrested.

Finally, the police cornered the remaining protestors by S. Canal Street and W. Monroe Street, a block south of the Israeli consulate. The police — which by this point outnumbered the protestors “at least 20 to one” — surrounded them and ordered the press to stand aside. “A melee ensued, with rioters flashing strobe lights in the eyes of the officers,” reported one eyewitness. Police officers arrested the remaining protestors around 9 p.m. and loaded them into prison vans.

If there was a winner here, it was the American-Israeli partnership, which stared down the vile hatred of a radical fringe and came out looking patriotic. The Chicago police acquitted themselves well, although I’m sure most of their officers would rather not have had to wrestle a bunch of radical activists in the dark.

As for the left-wing radicals, well, they have the satisfaction of recreating their myth of the 1968 Democratic convention, which helped normal people throughout the country to decisively sour on the party for the next two elections. And, with Chicago’s left-wing prosecutor declining to charge “protestors,” they’re free to continue their misbehavior without fear of serious consequences.