* State Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) sponsored a resolution this week “in support of the continued peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights by Occupy protestors.”
During the discussion, State Rep. Rosemary Mulligan (R-Park Ridge) said constituents have told her they’re afraid to go downtown to see the Christmas parade because of Occupy Chicago. “These people should not be honored on the Illinois House floor,” she said.
Rep. Ed Sullivan (R) pointed to HR 610’s Line 19, which he said, says the Occupiers are “lawfully protesting” Wall Street. Sullivan said, “Do you recognize the violence, the crime at these protests? This protest movement is un-American. If you don’t believe in capitalism, then vote for this. I will not stand for it.” […]
Rep Dennis Reboletti (R-) got a little more heated as he asked Rep. Ford, “How many arrests at Occupy Chicago? There’s been over 130 arrests … that’s far from peaceful,” Reboletti said. “We, of course, support the right to protest peacefully. But where are you condemning their bad actions?
“I saw what the media did to the Tea Party movement when they peacefully assembled and they were attacked for all the bad things that they were doing,” Reboletti said to Ford. “The Occupy movement is not lawful, peaceful assembly. This resolution also talks about your feelings and the 1% and class warfare.”
The Chicago arrests were for trespassing at Grant Park after hours. There has been no violence in Chicago.
Rep. Ed Sullivan Jr. called the protesters “un-American.’’ The Mundelein Republican says he has seen reports of them “raping and pillaging and beating people up and murdering.’’
