More protests over President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement are expected to get underway this weekend in the Chicago area.
The Chicago Police Department has canceled officers' days off for the weekend in preparation for "No Kings Day" protests and other planned events in the city. Thousands of people are expected to be downtown, and problems can come up quickly with a crowd of that size, but CPD says it's ready to act quickly.
"It's essential for getting the number of officers on the street that you need in order to enforce the laws and protect the citizens," said Monterrey Security Director of Public Safety Anthony Riccio, who is also a former CPD first deputy superintendent. "We still have to police and patrol the neighborhood on a Saturday night or Sunday night in June."
Two demonstrations flooded parts of Chicago's Loop earlier this week, and one resulted in 17 arrests following clashes with CPD. Riccio says heading into the weekend, officers are prepared to respond to any illegal behavior.
"When you identify those individuals, they are identified pretty quickly. You have to grab them and take them into custody, arrest them and remove them from the crowd. One thing I know for certain is bad behavior, criminal behavior, is contagious," Riccio said.
This comes after a large wave of mostly peaceful protests on Thursday night.
A sea of protesters could be seen holding signs, chanting and marching to voice their frustrations and anger with recent immigration raids in the area. Demonstrators also marched and rallied near Chicago's Trump Tower.
Saturday's protest in Chicago is set to take place at Daley Plaza. CPD says its officers are ready to handle the large crowds and prepared with all necessary resources.