Area Police Departments Respond to Spillover of Political Protest at Harper College Related to Venezuelan Presidential Election

A group protesting issues related to the Venezuela presidential election on Sunday, July 28, 2024 gathered at a Harper College parking lot, and eventually spilled over into other parking lots, nearby arterial roadways, residential neighborhoods and business properties nearby.

On Sunday, July 28, 2024 due to an increased attendance for a planned protest event at a rented Palatine Park District Pavilion on the Harper College Campus, Palatine Police were requested to assist the Harper College Police Department by blocking off access into the campus from Algonquin Road, Euclid Avenue and Roselle Road about 10:00 p.m. The entrances to Harper College were re-opened about an hour later. The Euclid Avenue entrance had been closed off around 6:30 p.m.

Palatine Fire Department paramedics responded about 6:40 p.m. to one of the parking lots at Harper College for a psychiatric-related emergency.

Palatine Police learned the reason for the gathering was reference the recent Venezuelan presidential election. As the crowds began to disperse from the college campus, they moved their gathering to the private property business lots and other parking lots located at the Northwest corner of South Roselle Road and Algonquin Road. Witness reported that large groups of people were also walking through nearby neighborhoods.

Although peaceful, according to the Palatine Police Department, many of the participants parked their vehicles in the westbound lanes of Algonquin Road and southbound lanes of Roselle Road creating hazards for the motoring public, as well as pedestrians walking across Roselle Road to and from the campus. Reports of reckless driving and fireworks complaints were received by area police departments. Loud music was also associated with the event while the protesters were in the Harper College parking lot.

As the crowds increased, and to ensure the safety of those involved, Palatine Police initiated an Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) mutual aid request, resulting in officers from surrounding agencies responding the area to assist. Police officers from surrounding police departments staged at Fremd High School. Police responded from Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Streamwood, and other municipalities.

At the request of the private business owners, officers made announcements to the crowds asking them to disperse. The crowds responded to the initial request and left peacefully. No arrests were made, and no discernible damage was located at any of the private properties, according to the Palatine Police Department.

Police officers on the ILEAS response were clearing their assignments by about 11:15 p.m.

Since 2010, Venezuela’s citizens have been suffering a socioeconomic crisis with high crime rate, hyperinflation and consumer product shortages diminishing the quality of life under Nicolás Maduro and briefly under his predecessor Hugo Chávez (April 14, 2002 to March 5, 2013 — the day of his death).

President Nicolás Maduro ran for a third consecutive term, opposed by former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, represented the Unitary Platform, which is the main opposition political alliance.

Polls indicated that González would win by a wide margin, but the government-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) announced partial results indicating a Maduro victory by a narrow margin on July, 29, 2024.

The presidential election was held in Venezuela on Sunday, July 28, 2024 for a six-year presidential term beginning on January 10, 2025.

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