Protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement erupted downtown last night with periodic clashes between police and demonstrators.

Why it matters: Demonstrations against ICE actions are stoking tensions between police and protesters at a time when President Trump has sent in the military to address similar actions in Los Angeles.

The latest: Thousands of protesters marched through the Loop, winding along DuSable Lake Shore Drive before returning to Daley Plaza.

• Police reportedly detained six protesters.

Zoom in: The protests were mostly peaceful, though a driver struck a group of protesters on Monroe Street. No one was taken to the hospital, per NBC 5.

• Vandals spray-painted slogans on several cars parked along State Street.
• The CTA temporarily suspended bus service in and out of the loop.

Zoom out: For Chicagoans, yesterday's protests, plus scenes of violence in LA, are reminiscent of demonstrations that rattled the city in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd.

State of play: Chicago police have been trained for protests, especially in preparation for last year's Democratic National Convention, which saw arrests but smaller skirmishes.

• Authorities were able to regulate protests by implementing snap curfews and rigorous permitting procedures.

Yes, but: Unplanned protests are different. Chicago police had trouble containing mass protests in 2020, which, as in LA, were followed by looting and lawlessness.

• President Trump, while speaking from the Oval Office yesterday, warned that protests in other cities would be "met with equal or greater force," referring to the military presence in LA.

Flashback: Chicago history is littered with violent clashes between police and protesters, including the 1886 Haymarket riot, the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.

What's next: The No Kings protests are planned for the Chicago area on Saturday, including downtown.

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Bally's Chicago has officially closed the book on its previous plan to give minority investors priority in the casino's initial public offering.

Why it matters: The city's first casino has faced a series of setbacks, from construction delays to declining revenue at its temporary space, while the IPO they announced late last year still has not been approved by the SEC.

Driving the news: The casino settled a lawsuit Friday filed by the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) and two white men who alleged the casino's initial offering excluded them from investing based on their race.

For the record: The terms of the settlement are confidential, lawyers for AAER tell Axios.

Flashback: Bally's filed for a $195 million initial public offering last year, but the only eligible buyers were women, minorities and firms majority-owned by women or minorities.

Reality check: At the time, the casino said the rule was in accordance with its Host Community Agreement, which requires that 25% of the Chicago casino be owned by "minority individuals and minority-owned and controlled businesses."

The latest: In April, Bally's dropped the minority and women requirement for participation in the IPO, but the paperwork still outlined a preference for Chicago and Illinois residents.

State of play: Construction of the permanent casino at the site of the former Freedom Center resumed last month after a Sun-Times investigation led the state gaming board to temporarily halt work.

What's next: Bally's permanent casino is expected to open late next year.

Go deeper

The median age of a Chicago home bought last year was 48 years old.

• Nationally the median was 36, the oldest since at least 2012, per Redfin records.

Why it matters: A major construction slowdown "has fast-tracked the aging of America's housing stock," the real estate site reports.

By the numbers: In 2024, roughly 55% of homes sold were 30 years old or older, while 17% were under five years old.

• In Chicago those numbers shift to 67% for homes 30 and older and 7% for those under five years old.

Reality check: It's not that most buyers want older houses, which often come with dated infrastructure and higher upkeep. The U.S. hasn't built enough new ones, experts say.

Full story

🎥 The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events has picked a new Chicago Film Office head. (Axios)

⛺️ The State of Illinois will pay $1.3 million for the never-built migrant tent encampment despite Gov. Pritzker's promises that taxpayers would not foot the bill. (Tribune)

🧑‍⚖️ Star Events, one of the city's largest festival producers, is being sued by a former client months after shutting down operations. (Block Club)

🗓️ Mark your calendar with our Event Board.

Chicago Comedy Club at the House of Blues on June 19: Featuring national and local headliners in one of Chicago's most beautiful venues, it's a perfect night out in downtown Chicago. $19.31.

Hosting an event? Email [email protected].

"I just think back on being in my dorm room at DePaul in 2008, watching my own draft by myself on NBATV. It was a Wednesday afternoon, which meant that my teammates were all in class or at workouts, and my family was all at work or at school. So I just kind of had a party for one, you know?"

— Allie Quigley announcing her retirement from the WNBA yesterday.

Context: Quigley played for the Sky, but has been out of the WNBA since 2022.

This week's History Mystery revealed: The 1915 photo captures Chicagoans of all ages (look at the buggies!) enjoying a brisk day at Washington Square Park, also known as Bughouse Square, on the Near North Side.

Context: This Getty archival photo of the oldest park in Chicago, first built in 1842, reveals few visual clues.

Yes, but: The former Unity Church, now the Chicago Cathedral at 935 N. Dearborn Street, offers a dead giveaway.

Zoom out: The area surrounding the park includes some impressive Chicago architecture, including homes designed during the post-Fire rebuilding period right before the turn of the 19th century.

The intrigue: Around 1890, the park started hosting public debates, giving it the nickname "Bughouse Square."

• The soapbox speeches continued throughout the 20th century, featuring famous orators like Studs Terkel, whose ashes were spread at the park after he died in 2008.

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