Protest Held Against Police Harassment, at Police Headquarters

[Neal...@aol.com]

Opposition and resistance to police harassment and interference with rights to speak, assemble, and march was the them of a lively protest demonstration outside of Chicago Police Headquarters today at noon. This is Flag Day and we flagged the police for their violation of people's rights.

 

The protest was initiated by the May Day 2011 March Organizers and the Moratorium on Deportations Campaign. This was particularly to protest the police citation issued on May 1st for an alleged violation of the march permit (marching in the street rather than the sidewalk) when, in fact, the police allowed and gave the green light to marching in the street. So, this was a case of harassment and entrapment.

 

An array of speakers gave other examples of how the government and its enforcement agencies constantly try to harass and intimidate people and violate their rights. In addition to speakers from the protest organizing groups, there were presentations by two of the co-sponsors-- the Committee Against Political Repression, which is defending the 23 anti-war activists being hounded by the government, activists in solidarity with the people resisting oppression in Palestine and Colombia, and members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization; and the March 19th Anti-War Coalition, which is faced with constant attempts by police to stop their right to leaflet on the public sidewalks; by the March 10 Coalition organizer, Jorge Mujica, who spoke about government harassment and police racial profiling of immigrants; a speaker from the American Labor Party in Wheaton on how police there have been interfering with their right to mount posters against the U.S. war on Libya even on bulletin boards that have many other leaflets, etc; and a speaker from Cop Watch, which is dedicated to monitoring and taking action against the frequent police harassment that they observe or hear about. Magda from CAMI spoke about a number of blatant examples of police harassment and brutality. Another co-sponsor, Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice also participated.

 

Magda mounted a lively dramatic action to show the frequent and arbitrary harassment and arrests of elders, youth, workers, immigrants, and others.

 

A number of people, including several passersby who joined the protest, signed the six-foot high citation that was to be delivered to the police superintendent, in addition to a letter to the superintendent demanding an apology and promise to stop police harassment of people.

 

We went up to the desk inside the front door. But we experienced harassment even in doing that, as the police insisted that there be no filming inside the building. And, when our demand to see the superintendent was turned down, as the desk officer said he was not in, he refused to take the citation to deliver to the superintendent on the basis that the citation was too large. But he did agree to see that our letter was delivered to the superintendent's office. We will follow up to make sure that the superintendent received the letter, and call on him to reply.

 

We hope that we will be able to further share our experience with on a you tube video. --Neal Resnikoff