CHICAGO - Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Chicago on Sunday in one of the city's largest demonstrations in years, airing grievances about war, climate change and a wide range of other complaints as world leaders assembled for a NATO summit.
The protest, which for months had stirred worries about violence in the streets, drew together a broad assortment of participants, including peace activists joining with war veterans and people more focused on economic inequality. But the diversity of opinions also sowed doubts about whether there were too many messages.
And some of the most enduring images were likely to be from the end -- when a small group of demonstrators clashed with a line of police who tried to keep them from the lakeside convention center where President Obama was hosting the gathering.
The protesters tried to move east toward McCormick Place, with some hurling sticks and bottles at police. Officers responded by swinging their batons. The two sides were locked in a standoff for nearly two hours, with police blocking the protesters' path and the crowd refusing to leave. Some protesters had blood streaming down their faces.
Authorities were seen making arrests one by one and leading individual demonstrators away in handcuffs.
After the clash, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a news conference that the protests resulted in 45 arrests and four officers suffering injuries -- one from a stab wound in the leg. Those numbers seemed certain to rise as new clashes erupted later in the night.
Hundreds of protesters gathered late Sunday night near the Art Institute of Chicago as First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a dinner for spouses of NATO leaders inside. At least 100 Chicago officers in riot gear were also at the scene.
Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee traveled to Chicago from Minneapolis to join the protest. "The people of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Syria and Iran should not be in the crosshairs of NATO," Aby said.
