Over the Labor Day weekend, Chicago witnessed a surge in gun violence with 54 people shot and seven killed prompting sharp backlash from President Trump, who declared the city “the most dangerous in the world”.

In response, Trump renewed his threat to deploy the National Guard to Chicago, echoing his recent interventions in cities like Washington, D.C. However, Mayor Brandon Johnson swiftly pushed back by signing an executive order prohibiting local police from cooperating with federal agents, and paired with Governor Pritzker who dismissed any federal deployment as an "illegal invasion" the city leadership vowed to challenge such measures legally.

Tensions were amplified by mass protests: between 5,000 and 10,000 demonstrators gathered in downtown Chicago as part of the "Workers over Billionaires" movement, denouncing the idea of a military presence in the city and urging authorities to safeguard local autonomy