Welcome to Chicago! You're Under Arrest.

It's hard to imagine someone aspiring to rerun Mayor Richard J. Daley's 1968 playbook, when he unleashed police repression on antiwar protesters and others. Daley's actions made "Chicago" synonymous with "brutality" for a generation. And yet that seems to be exactly what Rahm Emanual is doing.

The mayor has arranged for NATO and G8 to hold their summits in Chicago in May, 2012.

Emanual has now introduced changes in local law to sharply limit the rights of Chicagoans and others to express dissent. (See list below of specific measures being taken to limit free speech in Chicago.)

Chicago City Hall, December 2011: "Rahmenezer! We want our rights!"

There is a silver lining. Emanuel's obvious disdain for civil liberties is obvious to everyone, and it is bringing out the best in the activist community. Watch this tremendous performance at yesterday's press conference at City Hall, in which Ron Schupp updated "A Christmas Carol" to show what a modern day Jacob Marley would be telling "Rahmenezer" Scrooge.

Watch for more updates on the plans for free expression in Chicago during the May, 2012, NATO/G8 summits in Chicago at the website of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda.

The more they try to shut us up, the louder we're going to get!

NEXT EXIT CHICAGO
Abandon free speech
all ye who enter here.
RAHM EMANUEL, MAYOR

PENDING ORDINANCE CHANGES TO RESTRICT FREE SPEECH IN CHICAGO

* Raise fines for resisting police or aiding someone escaping arrest, minimum fine from $25 to $200 and double the maximum fine to $1,000;
* Close parks, playgrounds and beaches from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am, from the current 4:00 am opening;
*Empower Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to “deputize law enforcement personnel,” including members of private security companies;
*Empower McCarthy to make cooperative agreements with a host of state, federal and local law enforcement agencies;

Welcome to Chicago. (You're under arrest!)

*Empower McCarthy to forge agreements with “public or private entities concerning placement, installation, maintenance or use of video, audio telecommunications, or other similar equipment.” Participating agencies and their personnel would be “held harmless.”
*Empower the mayor or his designees to purchase “goods, work or services” needed to host the event without City Council approval, so long as there’s no existing city contract that could be used;
*Loud noise, amplified sound and music at parades, athletic events and public assemblies would be allowed only between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Rules on the use of sidewalks and streets also would be tightened.


Photos 2 and 3 courtesy FJJ
Check out more Scarry signs!


Related posts

Rahm has a simple formula for free expression:

NOwhere!

NOtime!

NOhow!

(Got a problem with that?)

(See Rahm's Three "NOs" )


Posterboard and markers: $21.79
Leaflets: $7.50
Bullhorn: $99.99
Standing up for peace and justice when everyone around you is saying "Get a job!" and "GO F**K YOURSELF!": PRICELESS!

(See Dissent: PRICELESS!)






How's this for a New Year's resolution? What are YOU going to do in 2012 to #RESIST US #NATO #war #murder #torture #detention #Afghanistan #Iran etc etc etc RSVP

(See #resist2012 )