CHICAGO – Federal, state and local officials today announced security plans – including the Secret Service Security perimeter around the United Center and McCormick Place – that will be in place during the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The ACLU of Illinois responded to the plans, urging all leaders to welcome the widest range for free expression and peaceful protest during the Convention. The following can be attributed to Edwin C. Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the ACLU of Illinois:
Our goal has always been to assure that the widest range of peaceful protest and expression is welcomed during the Convention in Chicago. For too long, some elected officials and some observers have engaged in hyperbole and fear-mongering to suggest that the mere act of protest is threatening. It is not.
Today’s announcement of the Secret Service Security Perimeter around the United Center and McCormick Place advances the process by making clear the scope of the security perimeter. We continue to examine the plan and look forward to learning about the location of the security zones planned by the City of Chicago
As this process moves foward, more work must be done to address how Chicago police officers – and members of other law enforcement agencies – will interact with those seeking to express themselves on public policy issues. Police should be looking to de-escalate engagements with protestors, and must not use interactions as a pretext for mass arrests, violence, or retaliation. Simply engaging in First Amendment activity, including peaceful activity that may cause inconvenience to others, is never a reason for arrest. Arrests should not be a tool for suppressing free expression.
The DNC is a chance to show off the wonders of the City of Chicago. But it is also a chance to demonstrate that our democracy welcomes dissent, protest and free expression. This should be a significant goal for this event.