News & Commentary
May 21, 2012
ACLU Volunteers Keep a Watchful Eye on NATO
The photos and video over the past few days in Chicago have been remarkable -- from the Irving Park on the North side, to Chicago's iconic Daley Plaza to the far South Loop, demonstrators have gathered in concert with the NATO summit to express their views on a host of local, national and international public policy issues. In most of the photos and videos, there are a group of people keeping a watchful eye, clad in bright orange t-shirts and hats. These folks are not fans who have wandered away from a University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign football or basketball game (the school's colors are bright orange and blue).
May 19, 2012
Protecting Free Speech During the NATO Summit
After months of preparation, the ACLU of Illinois is working through the weekend deploying observers and volunteers to monitor NATO Summit protest activity. The NATO Summit will take place on Sunday, May 20th and Monday, May 21st at the McCormick Center, but protest activity has already been taking place in the week leading up to the Summit. Protesters and activists from around the world have descended on Chicago to demonstrate against a vast array of issues ranging from the war in Afghanistan, to health care, to corporate malfeasance on Wall Street.
May 19, 2012
WTTW Channel 11: Daley Plaza Protest Rally
WTTW covered Friday's nurse's rally at the Daley Plaza, and spoke to ACLU legal director Harvey Grossman, who was on the scene to monitor protest activity with a team of ACLU observers. The nurse's rally was the first protest event leading up to the NATO Summit in Chicago. The ACLU of Illinois has prepared a program to deploy observers and volunteers to monitor activity and hand out information about free speech rights all weekend. Watch the segment below:
May 14, 2012
Free Speech in McCormick Place - UPDATED
The Secret Service has created a security perimeter around McCormick Place, limiting people’s ability to engage in free speech in close proximity to the NATO delegates.
Apr 26, 2012
WTTW: NATO Security Perimeter Leaked
ACLU of Illinois' legal director Harvey Grossman joined a panel of experts on WTTW's Chicago Tonight to discuss the recently released information from the secret service about the security perimeter for the NATO Summit and how this effects people who want to exercise their First Amendment right to protest during the summit.
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