ISP warns Pfleger over expressway protest
Tuesday, Jul 3, 2018 - Posted by Rich Miller
* ISP press release…
In anticipation of the July 7th, 2018 planned protest organized by Father Michael Pfleger through various social media outlets, Illinois State Police (ISP) officials are warning pedestrians not to enter any expressways in Illinois, or they will face arrest and prosecution.
“Our first priority is to protect public safety and that is what we will do,” said ISP Director Leo Schmitz. “This call to protest on the Dan Ryan, however well-intentioned, is reckless. It puts the lives of protestors and people in the community in grave danger. We will work with our partners at the Chicago Police Department to keep our communities safe and we strongly discourage this protest from going forward at this location.”
Both State Police and the Chicago Police personnel have met with Father Pfleger on several occasions to discuss the dangers of holding a march on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
“Shutting down and marching on the expressway recklessly places lives in danger by cutting off emergency services to those around the city who need it most,” said ISP (Chicago) Region I Commander Major David Byrd. “I have family and friends that live in this community, and while I appreciate and support this worthwhile cause, we cannot risk endangering the lives of those who march, of the many motorists traveling on the interstate, or the lives of our officers who are working to keep everyone safe. This planned protest endangers all communities by backing up traffic onto other arterial routes, creating extremely hazardous conditions for motorists, which are likely to cause crashes resulting in serious injury and fatalities. Additionally, the lives of the people marching on the expressway in the lanes of traffic, would also be placed at risk.”
In the interest of protecting lives while accomplishing the goal of peace, the ISP and CPD requests Father Pfleger reconsider the options to peacefully protest at alternate locations where the lives of the public and protestors will not be in jeopardy.
The ISP supports the First Amendment right to peacefully assemble, so long as it does not put the safety of the public in peril. Pedestrians are prohibited by law from entering the expressway including all on and off-ramps. Pedestrians who choose to violate the law and attempt to enter the expressway could be placed under arrest and charged with Criminal Trespassing to State Supported Property, as well as other potential violations.
Protests have shut down parts of the Ryan in the past, but I haven’t yet found any that caused the absolute mayhem the ISP is warning about.
* React…
“If the president of the united states was to come to Chicago today, law enforcement would immediately be pulled, and the entire expressway would absolutely be shut down, without negotiation, without conversation, and without fail, to protect one man, who ironically has not done anything currently to save the lives of the thousands of people who have been murdered, shot or wounded in this great city of Chicago,” said Bright Star Community Outreach CEO Pastor Chris Harris at the press conference.
Chicago police warn they have to pull 200 officers out of the high crime neighborhoods on the South and West sides to protect the protesters, leaving those areas unprotected.
“I don’t work for the police department, but let me offer them some advice,” Pfleger said. “If they say doing this will be pulling officers from the most needed neighborhoods in the city of Chicago, then pull them from the north side.”
- Montrose - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:42 am:
A goal of an action is to get attention. They can check that one off of their list.
- CPS Teacher - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:48 am:
We have crime on the NorthSide as well. One of my former students was shot and killed along with his twin brother in Old Towne. We had a man shot and killed in his car on my block in Albany Park this past summer. I appreciate the protest and its reasoning, but that quote leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
- Saluki - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:50 am:
Pfleger does more damage to his own cause than good.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:54 am:
I love father Pfleger
He is a social justice role model to me
And
I was taught that there are 4 criteria for a
Successful direct action
Winnable
Impactful
Limited
Targeted
I can only see this as being limited
There again I’m not father Pfleger
God bless him and his protest.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:57 am:
They could pull cops from the black site at Homen
- DuPage - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 11:59 am:
Exactly what do they want to call attention to? Guns, gangs, drugs, crime, lack of jobs? Committing a crime by blocking the highway kind of sets a bad example for kids. “If you want something, it’s OK to break the law to get it.”
- Silicon Prairie - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:01 pm:
Who is going to be the first person who runs onto the highway to jump in front of a car going 70mph?
- Real - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
They could pull cops from the black site at Homen
-Lol very true.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:03 pm:
===Committing a crime by blocking the highway===
MLK routinely did things like block bridges. This is not a new tactic.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:03 pm:
There will be at least one person traveling on the Dan Ryan that day who has been diagnosed with cancer and has less than a year to live. Probably more than one. Father Pfleger has decided that this person should sacrifice the time it takes from their remaining days whenever not only he but anyone with a worthy enough cause decides it’s worth it.
Yes, bless his heart.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:08 pm:
lcd, take a breath already. Have you ever driven on the Ryan?
- City Zen - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:14 pm:
CEO Pastor: The Profit of Doom
- California Guy - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:15 pm:
Arrest them. There was a planed protest on the 405 (major LA-area freeway) and the cops showed up, waited for protesters to try and get on, arrested them.
You have a right to protest and be heard, but snarling traffic and creating chaos doesn’t further your cause.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
===snarling traffic and creating chaos doesn’t further your cause===
lol. Maybe if they all go protest in some quiet basement well away from the public they’ll further their cause? The point is to attract attention.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:20 pm:
===snarling traffic and creating chaos doesn’t further your cause===
Chaos! lol
- City Zen - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:26 pm:
Ironically, the Bright Star Community Outreach Corporation’s primary program offering is Safe Passage.
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/262007088
- Wylie Coyote - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
All he wants is to have his mug on 2,5,7,9, Trib & Sun-Times. If they didn’t show up then it’s over real quick. But, Pfleger is pulling a Pat Quinn and doing a weekend event when the media is hungry for anything…..
- Stark - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:30 pm:
“We strongly discourage this protest from going forward.” Oh, thanks very much for letting me know your direct intention to check my rights based on your own personal interpretations of “safety”.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:31 pm:
On most days the Ryan is a parking lot anyway. This won’t help, but it’s not like regular Ryan users aren’t used to horrible traffic jams. Somehow I think we will survive this.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:38 pm:
Father Pfleger is no MLK. Period. Illinoisans are already very aware that there is a crime and gang problem in parts of Chicago and are justifiably concerned. But what is the winning solution Pfleger is offering up for consideration via this march (which will inconvenience and infuriate the many travelers who cannot reasonably be expected to have any possible impact on solving or improving the situation that Pfleger decries?)
- a drop in - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:42 pm:
“If you want something, it’s OK to break the law to get it.”
Sitting at a lunch counter was against the law at one time. Just sayin’
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:46 pm:
===Father Pfleger is no MLK. Period===
Well, if that’s your bar, then let’s just all stay home.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:57 pm:
I don’t mind this kind of civil disobedience, but this particular tactic has worn out its usefulness. When protesters did it in Saint Louis probably 15 years ago it had a tie to better minority contracting (meaning not fake companies getting the minority contracts). That’s something that was tied to the specific act. This has now been done so often I don’t think its effective anymore and few pick up on the actual message (a worthy one).
Even so, I have yet to see chaos result from any of the times a highway was shut down. IDOT screw ups on the other hand–maybe ISP should have a talk with them.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 12:58 pm:
====Somehow I think we will survive this.
Might be the best place to catch people with nothing to do but wait.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:14 pm:
=If the president of the united states was to come to Chicago today, law enforcement would immediately be pulled, and the entire expressway would absolutely be shut down=
I almost feel bad this guy wasted his breath on such a sad and irrelevant argument
- California Guy - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:15 pm:
@Anonymous
Yeah, because people in Chicago have no idea that they live in a violent City….
Stopping a freeway, breaking the law, and irritating people might bring attention, but is that the kind of attention that the protesters really want?
My example of the 405 protest was with regard to the BLM activists around the presidential election. The support for BLM was short lived. They tried to block traffic in LA and did more harm to themselves than good.
- cdog - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:17 pm:
I agree with Pfleger’s efforts to bring attention to most of these issues.
He tweeted, “The Shut Down is to Force the City to stop ignoring this Violence…the Violence of Poverty, No Jobs, Poor Schools, No Economic Development, Lack of Housing, No Mental Health Facilities, Lack of Common Sense Gun Legislation in the State, Shooting of Young Black Men by each other and by Law Enforcement…Civil Disobedience is to say we will interrupt Business as Usual to Demand these issues be Addressed!!!”
Why has it gotten to this point, Chicago, where a Catholic priest is going to try and shut down a freeway on a Saturday?
And, why does Pfleger think that it is wise to provoke a response from law enforcement, on a freeway?
Breaking a just law can never give you higher moral ground. It just makes you another lawbreaker.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:19 pm:
“Oh, thanks very much for letting me know your direct intention to check my rights”
You think there is a Constitutional right to block traffic? There isn’t.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:25 pm:
===Constitutional right to block traffic?===
The Constitution doesn’t say “right of the people orderly to assemble,” or even “lawfully.” It says “peaceably.”
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:30 pm:
==The Constitution doesn’t say “right of the people orderly to assemble,” or even “lawfully.” It says “peaceably.”==
Also, does not say “unless impeding traffic”
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:38 pm:
==The Constitution doesn’t say “right of the people orderly to assemble,” or even “lawfully.” It says “peaceably.”==
It’s well established law that time and place can be regulated, especially when there are public safety concerns. If they wish to argue otherwise, good luck with that.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 1:45 pm:
Even more first world complaints from conservatives. First amendment is bad when allowing protests, but good when used to gut unions, lie to pregnant women seeking abortion or allow corporations to subsidize republican campaigns.
“How dare you increase my drive time from Rolling Meadows to Lincoln Park. Do you have any idea how much gas this Lexus SUV burns when sitting still with the air conditioning on?”
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 2:13 pm:
Maybe this protest and the ensuing traffic snarl will be the catalyst to revive the Crosstown Expressway project./s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosstown_Expressway_(Chicago)
- Montrose - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 2:49 pm:
I really wish the level of concern folks are showing about a traffic jam was transferred to the issue being protested. People drive down the Dan Ryan everyday, blissfully oblivious to the violence occurring in the neighborhoods they are driving through. If a traffic jam is what it takes to get people to pay attention, so be it. Sometimes you have to make the comfortable uncomfortable.
- Nagidam - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 3:07 pm:
Maybe the is a more extreme example but the concern discussed about emergency services is valid. While an ambulance can put their lights on and we would hope the protestors would move aside, what about an emergency that has a normal citizen trying to get to a hospital. Seconds can save a life.
- California Guy - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 3:15 pm:
@ Montrose
I find it hard to believe that people on the Dan Ryan don’t know about the violence occurring in Chicago.
- Keyser Soze - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 3:45 pm:
If it matters, there may someday be a Musk tunnel from the Loop to O’Hare.
- Gone, but not forgotten - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 3:54 pm:
Nice try Lester Holt’s Mustache @ 1:45, but the route from Rolling Meadows to Lincoln Park would be the Kennedy, not the Ryan.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 4:08 pm:
Could any of you criticizing Father Pfleger please link me to your handbook of acceptable protest?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 4:13 pm:
==Could any of you criticizing Father Pfleger please link me to your handbook of acceptable protest?==
I can direct you to chapter 1 of that handbook: Don’t Do Something That Could Reasonably Result In Injury Or Death To You Or Bystanders
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 3, 18 @ 4:28 pm:
===Don’t Do Something That Could Reasonably Result In Injury Or Death To You Or Bystanders ===
And since there have been several protests on the Ryan over the years and nobody has been injured or killed, this doesn’t qualify.