Chicago police suspect that at least one person attending the Democratic National Convention (DNC) breakfast at the hotel on Wednesday became ill after eating mealworms, the Associated Press reported.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said a joint police-FBI investigation led to clues that mealworms had been placed on tables at the event. ReportedAccording to the Associated Press, police said multiple female suspects entered the hotel, where an event for Democratic National Convention delegates was being held, and began placing “unidentified objects” on a table before leaving the premises. (Related article: “Racists are not welcome here!”: Hamas-led Democratic National Convention rioters try to intimidate Vivek Ramaswami)
“We don't know if they were maggots,” Snelling said, “There was sawdust, so it could have been mealworms. They look the same, but we're still investigating.”
Mealworms may have been dropped on a table in a Chicago hotel where delegates to the Democratic National Convention had breakfast. https://t.co/SzGZ6SwD5d
— Associated Press (@AP) August 23, 2024
According to the Associated Press, one person who ate food at the event was treated by medical staff and released from hospital. The hotel said the “disruption” was brief and that staff “acted immediately to clean and disinfect the area, allowing the event to continue without further incident.”
Mealworms They are brownish “worm-like scarab larvae” that are “an important food source for many animals,” including birds, spiders, rodents, fish, reptiles and other insects.
Pro-Palestinian protesters released live crickets and mealworms into the lobby of the apartment building of Columbia University's COO on August 8. The vandals left messages asking, “Did you enjoy our gifts? Did they offend you? They are nothing compared to the pain they felt when they condoned the brutality of Columbia University students who spoke out against the genocide of Palestinians.”
In July, pro-Palestinian protesters used the same tactics at the Watergate Hotel, disrupting an Israeli diplomatic mission there. “Our top priority is the safety and health of our guests and staff, and we have taken the necessary steps to ensure the hotel is sanitized and can resume normal business,” a hotel spokesman said at the time.
