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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Naperville streets will have plenty of protesters June 29 |
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by The RTS! Collective
Email: rtstreets (nospam) onebox.com (unverified!) |
16 Jun 2002
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Protesters, be sure to mark June 29 on your calendars. Chances are you'll be in Naperville. |
By Stacy St. Clair Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted on June 16, 2002
Protesters, be sure to mark June 29 on your calendars.
Chances are you'll be in Naperville.
The city promises to be a smorgasbord of civil disobedience that day with groups ranging from anti-abortion protesters to Palestinian sympathizers planning rallies.
And, of course, no day of Naperville public protest is complete without drum-banging anarchists. The mob that clogged intersections last summer also is set to make an appearance that evening downtown.
"We will be ready," Naperville police Chief David Dial said. "They have the right to protest. They simply do not have the right to violate the law."
The protests, all scheduled for the same day only by coincidence, begin at 9 a.m. that Saturday, when an anti-abortion group is scheduled to have a vigil on Ogden Avenue. The demonstrators, who have events planned in several towns that weekend, will stay in Naperville for about 90 minutes before heading to their next stop.
At noon, a coalition of Christians, Muslims and Jews plans to hold its monthly peace demonstration on the Washington Street bridge. The group's aim is to end the Israeli occupation of disputed territories in the Middle East.
Police expect no problems from either group, both of which have a history of uneventful protests locally.
The day's closing act, however, doesn't have such a pristine record during the past two years. The group, called Reclaim the Streets, has threatened to clog downtown intersections each summer to call attention to "the evils of capitalism, racism and government bureaucracy."
The self-described anarchists accuse Naperville of championing a "bourgeois" lifestyle with its multitude of designer coffee shops and sport utility vehicles. By disrupting traffic, the protesters aim to interrupt consumerism, if only temporarily, in the city's bustling downtown shopping area.
"They're against everything," Naperville Mayor George Pradel said. "They hate soccer moms, they hate roads, they hate everything."
The group first came to Naperville in 2000 but canceled its planned rally because of heavy rain and a strong police presence.
Last summer, 150 protesters converged on the downtown area to wave flags and bang drums as they marched east on Jackson Avenue. Police directed the participants to move off the street and arrested - sometimes with the help of pepper spray - those who refused.
By the night's end, 17 people were charged with misdemeanor complaints of mob action. Though a few cases are still in the court system, most offenders were sentenced to community service.
Since the rally, Naperville police have monitored the group's Web site for details on upcoming rallies. The anarchists, who meet weekly in the College of DuPage cafeteria, have taken a keen interest in the town's politics in recent months.
Their Web site includes copies of local newspaper editorials and articles. It also has a message encouraging members to apply for a vacancy on the Naperville City Council.
Information about the application process is listed under the headline, "The council can be ours."
The site also contains details on protecting oneself from tear gas. It encourages protesters to wear masks so their bosses won't recognize them on television. They're also urged to write a lawyer's phone number on their arms in case they're arrested.
Reclaim the Streets leaders could not be reached for comment.
Pradel, however, said police will be prepared for the group when it gathers at 6 p.m. June 29.
"We are fully prepared to defend the city against people who break the law," he said.
Police officials declined to release details concerning how many officers will be working that evening. Last year, the department had 100 officers on the street.
At this point, there are no plans to close downtown roads or urge residents to avoid the area.
"I'm asking that everybody go about their normal activities and the businesses stay open," Chief Dial said. "I want the businesses to stay open and make a lot of money that evening." |
See also:
http://www.rtstreets.org
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