On television, the Democratic National Convention is staged to be a flawless, well-produced, compelling primetime infotainment program.

Just getting to the United Center on Chicago's west side in person is a logistical adventure, even for longtime attendees.

Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last month and the expectation of large-scale protests in Gaza, security forces have been deployed on a large scale. Temporary fencing has been erected in areas with several blocks around the conference venues.

"We anticipate major protests in the city for the remainder of the week," Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling told reporters Monday. "We're prepared for that. We're hoping for the exact same outcome for every protest, that everyone can exercise their First Amendment rights… If there are no incidents, if that happens, then we'll have had the most successful Democratic National Convention that we can possibly imagine. We'd rather not have any clashes. We'd rather not make any arrests if we don't have to."