Activists Accused of Putting Mealworms in Delegates' Breakfast

UPDATE Aug 23, 2024 12:30 AM CDT

It may have actually been mealworms, not maggots, that sickened a guest at a breakfast for delegates at a Chicago hotel Wednesday. "I'm not sure that those were maggots," the city's police superintendent told the AP Thursday. "There was sawdust, so they were probably mealworms. They look the same. But that's still under investigation." One person who ate some of the tainted food was treated and released at the scene, police say. The incident remains under investigation.

Aug 22, 2024 7:45 AM CDT

The FBI and Chicago Police are investigating claims that activists placed bugs in a hotel breakfast buffet prepared for delegates at the Democratic National Convention. The incident occurred around 6:45am Wednesday at Chicago's Fairmont Hotel, where delegates from Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, and South Dakota are staying. Indiana delegate Karen Tallian, a retired state senator, said two women hiding in a bathroom "ran out and threw maggots into the breakfast buffet," per USA Today. Other witnesses described the bugs as crickets.

The convention's information center said "multiple unknown female offenders" allegedly placed "unknown objects onto tables containing food" before leaving the area and that one victim was treated on-scene. "We can confirm that a group of individuals caused a disruption at a DNC-related breakfast event," Fairmont Chicago said in a statement, per WGN. "Our team acted immediately to clean and sanitize the area, ensuring that the event could continue without further incident." One witness said all breakfast food was replaced within an hour, per USA Today.

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Maggots and other bugs were similarly released at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, last month while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying there. The Palestinian Youth Movement claimed the bugs were released in protest of Israel's war against Hamas, per CBS News. Multiple law enforcement sources say activists brought in the bugs at the Fairmont Hotel, per WGN. "All Americans have the right to peaceful protest, but ugly attacks like this have no place in our democracy," said Indiana Democratic Party rep Sam Barloga, per USA Today. "We thank the security team for responding swiftly." (More Democratic National Convention stories.)