- A standoff between police and anti-war demonstrators near the NATO summit at McCormick Place left several protesters bloodied and led to dozens of arrests, as delegates gathered for the first of two days of meetings.
The confrontation, which flared up late this afternoon near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Cermak Road, lasted for almost two hours, as officers in full riot gear went nose to nose with demonstrators, with police determined to keep the crowd away from the convention center where NATO delegates were meeting.
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured in the tussle, but by 7 p.m., seven protesters had been treated at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Connie Murphy said.
Of a more pressing concern was the coppers hurt. We're hearing up to four injured, including one who was attacked with a claw hammer. Anyone with word on their conditions is welcome to update the rest of us.