Azmi Alaeddin said he felt a letdown as he entered the Milwaukee Public Market last week, sweaty and hot, a full-size Palestinian flag in hand. He had just returned from a protest march on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention, and while it was mercifully peaceful, he said, far fewer demonstrators showed up than he had hoped — and those who did were nearly outnumbered by police.
Seated at his Middle Eastern food stand at the market, Alaeddin noted the absence of foot traffic inside this popular spot for tourists and locals alike. Sales at his business started to crater by 30%-40% over the weekend, Alaeddin said, and he expected a hit of as much as 60%-80% for the rest of the week.
As Chicago prepares to host the Democratic National Convention beginning on Aug. 19, Milwaukee’s experience is instructive. The city to the north went all out to ensure public safety, deploying teams of police from across the country who were cycling by on bikes, patrolling on horseback, pulling up in armored vehicles and gathered in a show of force at each of the entrances to the convention area. Concrete barriers and chain-link fences blocked streets, making the center of the city difficult to navigate by car and tricky for even pedestrians.
As in Chicago, boosters had promised a bonanza for local businesses, including an estimated $200 million economic impact from the convention. While hotel rates did indeed shoot up, and police raked in overtime, the convention was a bust for many local businesses such as the China Gourmet restaurant, which closed for the week despite being located an easy walk from the convention venue.
Given the heavy security, understandable after the assassination attempt on ex-President Donald Trump, convention attendees appeared to be spending a lot of time inside their hotels and other closely guarded official venues. Meanwhile, regular customers essential to local businesses mostly stayed away.
“Most of the people I served today were cops,” observed Samuel Meyer, a barista at Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co. across the hall from Alaeddin’s food stand. He had just sold a coffee drink to a police officer from Columbus, Ohio, decked out in olive-drab tactical gear.
About a mile from the convention venue, five Columbus police officers fatally shot a local resident who they said refused commands and lunged at an unarmed citizen with a knife. The shooting sparked protests from locals and activists who expressed outrage at the involvement of out-of-state police in town because of the convention.
Indeed, the mostly white, conservative crowd was always going to be a mismatch in an overwhelmingly Democratic city with an almost 40% Black population. The downtown Penzeys spice store put up a sign in its window saying, “Welcome, Future Fake Electors,” which led to a big sales boost when it took off on social media ahead of the convention. As the confab opened nearby, however, business at the store was dead. “I don’t think anyone, Republican or Democrat, is here to spend money,” said clerk Anthony Martinez.
Some venues were active, including the Harley-Davidson Museum, where buses lined up to drop off conventiongoers as country music played from a stage set up near the entrance. Across town, America’s Black Holocaust Museum, a must-see for tourists interested in civil rights, was closed to the public for the convention’s duration.
Milwaukee’s impressive mayor, Cavalier Johnson, tried to keep hopes alive, insisting the downtown was open for business at his daily news conferences outside City Hall. “Milwaukee is receiving very positive attention not just across the United States but literally around the world,” the youthful Democrat said Tuesday morning. Across the street, the historic Pabst Theater, a premier event space, was standing idle. Its owners had previously complained to local media that the Pabst and their other venues in the city weren’t getting bookings.
Johnson’s expert handling of his news conferences sets a good example for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who should have an easier job ahead of him. The DNC is a good fit for Chicago politically, and the bigger city is better able to absorb the event’s impact without disrupting everything else downtown.
Still, Chicago’s Johnson might want to check in with his counterpart in Milwaukee for pointers on how to directly answer simple questions and provide timely information. The Milwaukee mayor got almost as much positive attention from the national media as did his city.
As for economic impact, temper your expectations. We hope for lasting benefits like those from the Democratic convention of 1996, which helped transform the West Loop. As in Milwaukee, however, the DNC will give everyday Chicagoans a reason to stay far away from the United Center, its main venue. It would be no surprise if the city’s nearby businesses experience the same doldrums as Alaeddin’s food stand in the Milwaukee Public Market.
Like Milwaukee, Chicago’s No. 1 priority next month must be keeping the peace. Chicago has got to live down a reputation for violent crime that continues to hurt its prospects. While we’re skeptical that the DNC will be good for business in the short run, proving the city is safe and run by a competent mayor would go a long way toward ensuring that Chicago is open for business in the future. Milwaukee did it. Chicago can, too.
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