STOP Rahm Emanuel's Anti-Protester Ordinances!

Posted on Jan 10, 2012 by [Midwest Anti-War Mobilization]

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Message Action: STOP Rahm Emanuel's Anti-Protester Ordinances!

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Next Wednesday Mayor Emanuel will attempt to ram through a series of anti-protester ordinances at Chicago's City Council meeting. The day before, two city council meetings will be dealing with the proposed ordinances.

Occupy Chicago, Midwest Anti-War Mobilization, CANG8 and several other organizations are attempting to derail Rahm's plan. Here's why:

* Under a wholly new section of the municipal code (10-8-334), even gatherings on sidewalks, with no presence in the streets, would now be subject to demands that they get permits, giving the City extraordinary latitude to dictate what union and other pickets occur or get shut down by police action. Conceivably, every Occupy Chicago general assembly meeting would require a permit, and receive permission from the City;

* Virtually every street protest in the downtown would be designated a "large parade" requiring $1 million liability insurance and for organizers to "agree to reimburse the city for any damage to the public way or to city property arising out of or caused by the parade";

* Large parade or not, organizers would be required to provide the city with "a description of any recording equipment, sound amplification equipment, banners, signs, or other attention-getting devices to be used in connection with the parade" at least a week in advance of the march;

* Every contingent in the march and the order in which they would appear would have to be registered at least a week in advance with the City; and,

* Demonstration organizers would be required to have one marshal for every 100 participants.

Violation of any of these or other provisions would be met with minimum fines 20x greater than at present, zooming from the current $50 to $1000 (maximum penalties would be $2000 fine and 10 days in jail). The current ordinance is already used regularly to punish anti-war protesters and other activists whose messages the police hate. The whole series of additional ticky tacky provisions would give the City even greater license to harass activists.

Make no mistake. These ordinances are aimed at everyone who has a beef with the City and/or private employers -- the upcoming G8 and NATO protests are just Emanuel's excuse to attack anyone who wants to dissent in this town.

Here's what you can do:

* Contact your alderman or alderwoman and insist that s/he vote NO on Emanuel's proposed ordinance changes.

* Attend one or both of the City Council committee meetings:
-- 10 AM, Tuesday, January 17 in the City Council Chambers, 121 N. LaSalle Street, 2nd floor
-- 1 PM, Tuesday, January 17 in Room 201A, 121 N. LaSalle Street.

* Attend the City Council meeting where the votes are scheduled to take place:
-- 8 AM, Wednesday, January 18 in the City Council Chambers, 121 N. LaSalle Street, 2nd floor

Go here to get more information about the details of the ordinances.