City officials issued a community advisory alert stating that at approximately 2:43 Saturday morning, the Highland Park Police Department’s dispatch received roughly 30 noise complaint calls. The complaints reported people who were shouting near Woodland Road. According to CBS 2, Representative Rob Schneider was not present at his residence during the incident, though other family members were home at the time of the protest.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Hamas supporters staged an overnight protest outside the Highland Park residence of Representative Brad Schneider (D-Il). The demonstration led to noise complaints and caused concern among local residents. The event left many neighbors unsettled, especially given the protesters’ pledge to return. Residents also questioned the limited response to the late-night disturbance, expressing concerns about how authorities handled the situation.
A social media post documented a nighttime demonstration outside Congressman Brad Schneider’s residence. The caption stated, “Activists in Chicago rouse Brad Schneider at 2:30 AM, calling for UNRWA refunding and an end to US support of what they term a genocide.”
The post appeared on an account called “Direct Actions for Palestine,” which mentioned two pro-Hamas organizations: American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Chicago and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) Chicago.
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According to the post, demonstrators criticized Schneider regarding Congress’ decision to defund UNRWA, as well as his approval of military assistance to Israel.
The account added, “We need to hold him responsible for the loss of over 45,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza. If justice is denied to Gaza, then sleep will be denied to you. This marks only the beginning.”
According to city officials, law enforcement responded promptly, arriving within minutes to find approximately 40 demonstrators on the sidewalk. The protesters used banners, loudspeakers, and drums to voice pro-Hamas slogans and what were described as antisemitic chants. Video footage shared on social media also captured the sound of siren-like noisemakers.
A statement from Rep. Schneider’s office reported that a red substance, suspected to be animal blood, was spilled on the sidewalk during the protest.
On June 14, Rep. Schneider said on the House floor: “The most extraordinary points in history … are when there are crossroads, and we are at a crossroads. We are at a moment where the possibility of changing the future of the Middle East for the better is in front of us: Saudi Arabia, willing to and wanting to normalize relations with Israel; the Abraham Accords laying the foundation for those possibilities; the ability to defeat Hamas … to give the people of Gaza a hope for a positive future, a better future. All that’s in front of us. And I pray to God that we don’t lose that moment. Because the alternative … if we don’t grasp this moment, could be very dark. So, I hope that we do everything we can to make sure we take the right path here.”
