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Home » E-newsletter » Archives » September 15, 2003
September 15, 2003 ACLU of Illinois E-News 9.15.03 ACLU of Illinois Challenges Policy Prohibiting Free Expression at McCormick Place! Lawyers for the ACLU of Illinois went to federal court last Friday to challenge policies at Chicago's premier convention center - McCormick Place - that prohibit any expression within the public space other than the speech controlled by sponsors of trade shows and other events. McCormick Place, owned, funded and operated by the State of Illinois, even prohibits leafleting and other non-intrusive expression by outside groups in public areas, including the Grand Concourse - an area that links two main buildings and contains retail stores, transportation centers and other public accommodations. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of CASPIAN, a national, grassroots organization committed to protecting consumer privacy. They are seeking the opportunity to distribute leaflets during a trade show taking place in Chicago this week. You can read the press release on this case here. Anniversary of September 11th Terrorist Attacks Highlights Debate over Powers Granted in the Patriot Act Last week's second anniversary of 9/11 was marked not only by solemn ceremonies and quiet reflection, but also by continued focus and debate about the expanded powers granted to federal law enforcement authorities under the USA PATRIOT Act. ACLU of Illinois Executive Director Colleen Connell appeared in a discussion on this subject on WBEZ's morning news magazine program, Eight Forty Eight. If you have a "Real Player," you can hear the audio for the program by clicking the link to the RAM file here. National ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero issued a statement expressing concerns with actions by the Ashcroft Justice Department in the past two years. You can read that statement at the national ACLU website here. Get Busy for Gay Equality The National ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project has launched a new campaign titled Get Busy. Get Equal. Building on the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the Texas sodomy law, the project developed a separate website devoted to helping gay men and lesbians work for equality in their communities. The Project believes that now is the best opportunity yet o insist that governments, business and schools treat all persons with dignity and respect, and give equal treatment in day to day life to everyone. This website provides tools to: 1) get better treatment for same-sex relationships; 2) get safe schools; 3) get civil rights/discrimination policies that include LGBT people. You can find the website at http://www.aclu.org/getequal/. In Case You Missed Us We did not publish an August 31st edition of the E-Newsletter - in case you missed it. We took a brief end of the summer hiatus, but we are back now. Annual Report Now Available The ACLU of Illinois 2002-2003 Annual Report is now available. If you want to view a copy, please do so by opening the PDF file here. ACLU of Illinois to Honor Six at BRC It is not too early to think about the annual Bill of Rights Celebration event. The tickets for this event go quickly each year, and the speeches by BRC awardess always are inspiring. If you want to read more about the BRC awardees, their contributions to the cause of civil liberties and get information about the event, you can go here. |
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