undefined
|
|||
|
Rumors are circulating that the Chicago Police and the City of Chicago are intending to sue the arrested protestors from March 20th to help pay for the financial burden of putting extra police on overtime. This is strictly a rumor at this point. The city will only be able to sue those who are convicted of a crime. If you were arrested on March 20th, we strongly recommend that you seek legal counsel. A "no-contest" or "guilty" plea may put you in a position to be sued by the city. Everyone arrested on Thursday, March 20th, has been released from jail. For more details, please refer to the Chicago IMC site. 
Correspondents reporting for Redline Radio at the massive peace protest Thursday night were telling a different story than what was being heard on the radios and televisions in the homes of many Chicagoans. An estimated 10,000 people gathered at Federal Plaza at 5pm on Thursday. Speakers addressed the crowd for a while, and then the protestors began to march. The original plan called for the march to walk down Michigan avenue, however at one point the crowd made a move for Lake Shore Drive. Realizing that they couldn't stop the crowd, Chicago police allowed them to take the northbound lanes of LSD. Attempts were made to contain the protest within the northbound lanes, but the crowd eventually spilled over into the other side. At this point, the Chicago Police forced the crowd off of the drive, just outside of the Drake Hotel.
It was at this point where the local media coverage of this event differs from the reports that Redline Radio was receiving from it's correspondents. ABC news reported that police were arriving on the scene in full riot gear, with gas masks and tear gas guns in tow. Of the stations Redline Radio was monitoring (ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, WTTW, WGN radio, NPR), they were the only one to make mention of this development. No more than a few minutes after this development did ABC stop live coverage. Fox still had a live feed, but was not commenting on the tear gas or riot gear. They too, stopped live coverage shortly after this development. In fact, around this time, no local station was covering this event. Reports were coming in to the station that the police had the crowd fully surrounded and were pushing them back onto the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive. The southbound lanes had been shut down and emptied for well over an hour at this point. Speculations arose that perhaps police wanted them contained on Lake Shore Drive so as to reduce possible property damage in case of a riot incited by use of tear gas. This rumor, and many others, rapidly circulated through the confused crowd. Police were not engaging in dialogues with any of the protestors. Local stations were still not covering the event. 
After spending some time on the southbound lanes, police then forced them back off of the drive at Chicago Ave. It is important to note that the reports Redline Radio received specifically mention the police forcing the flow of the protestors. Many local media outlets today have described these actions on thursday night as being directed by the protestors who simply wanted to march longer. All of the people in contact with the station said that at this point they simply wanted to go home but were not being allowed to leave by the Chicago Police.
After police had the crowd fully surrounded on Chicago Ave, they began making arrests. The local media Thursday night, and Friday morning, reported that approximately 200 people had been arrested. Reports now say that over 800 people were restrained with zip-ties, and loaded onto buses. 300 of them men, and over 500 were women. Chicago Police were still refusing to allow people to leave, claiming that they would rather have one large group than many small groups to deal with. As logical as that statement seems, it does not explain why the contained protestors were then being arrested for failure to disperse. After the situation appeared to be under control, local media began to cover the event once again. Fox news reported that the massive crowd of people was refusing to leave. They later commented, after many at the protest called in to complain, that protestors were actually being detained by the police. Protestors were held on Chicago Ave. until 1:30am. No apparent damage to any property was reported. The over 800 people arrested were held overnight and are due in misdemeanor court Friday morning. They are being released after paying $100 bonds. Please take a moment to read some personal accounts of Thursday's protest: Andrew, at the protest Tick Tick Boom, at the protest Justin, at the protest Eugene, at the protest and at jail April, at the protest and at jail Slacker, DJ broadcasting during protest For more personal accounts, please refer to the Chicago IMC site. 
One of Chicago's finest proving he can add 1 + 1 Here's some mainstream media coverage that we're calling into question: Chicago Tribune: Chicago police arrested several hundred anti-war demonstrators who blocked the intersection of Chicago and Michigan avenues tonight during a protest that wound its way north from Federal Plaza in the Loop... ...Because the crowd became so unruly, police decided to make a firm stand at Michigan and Oak Streets, demanding that the protesters retreat back to Lake Shore Drive. The crowd did turn back at first, but then made another attempt at marching up Michigan Avenue at Chicago Avenue... NBC AN ANTIWAR protest that began in downtown Chicago was still out of control Thursday evening, NBC News' Jim Avila reported. More than 1,000 demonstrators briefly shut down Lake Shore Drive, a major thoroughfare in downtown Chicago. Riot-helmeted police by the busload arrived and successfully moved them off Lake Shore, Avila reported. Reported by NBC. Chicago Sun-Times The chanting protesters had remained at Michigan and Chicago past 10 p.m., with authorities keeping close watch, before the arrests began in earnest. The area was cleared about 11:30p.m., according to police officer Alice Casanova. Several hundred demonstrators were in custody, Chicago police spokesman Pat Camden said. They face charges of mob action and reckless conduct. AP Several thousand marchers snarled afternoon rush-hour traffic along Chicago's main arteries, repeatedly breaking through lines of police on horseback or in riot gear... |
