Loud demonstration at Mundelein village hall prompts police response
A loud demonstration outside Mundelein village hall Monday night prompted a large deployment of police officers equipped with riot helmets and disposable restraints for potential crowd control efforts — but no arrests were made.
It was the latest protest over the May 11 fatal shooting by police of Mundelein resident Mary Alice Love during a mental health crisis at her home.
The noise began Monday night as the village board held a regularly scheduled meeting inside. Demonstrators banging on drums, yelling and making siren sounds with an electronic bullhorn could be heard within the boardroom.
Protesters hit the boardroom’s windows several times, too, which eventually triggered a verbal response from Village Administrator Eric Guenther.
“We can’t have that,” Guenther said after one such disruption. “We need to continue the meeting, but they can’t be disrupting it like that.”
The noise — which also got the attention of some residents of an apartment building just south of village hall — didn’t stop then, however.
More than a dozen police officers already were at village hall to prevent demonstrators from disrupting the meeting in the boardroom, which happened twice last month.
Demonstrators spent about two hours using the public comment section of Monday’s meeting to express their anger over Love’s death and the continued employment of the sergeant who shot her.
Protesters eventually shifted outside. As the crowd grew in size and volume, officers formed defensive lines outside the building’s main entrance on Plaza Circle. Some demonstrators yelled insults at the gathered officers.
The crowd dispersed after the board meeting ended, Guenther said Tuesday.
Guenther insisted village officials want to let people lawfully protest. But demonstrators won’t be allowed to disturb nearby residents or disrupt public meetings again, he said.
The police response to the protest outside the building drew a strong rebuke Tuesday from five Lake County Board commissioners-elect, including Mundelein Democrat Nicki Sullivan.
“We strongly condemn the use of riot police to respond to grieving families and concerned residents exercising their right to make their voices heard,” the quintet said in an open letter to village officials that was shared on social media. “While we recognize the responsibility of local officials to maintain public safety and conduct government business, those responsibilities must be balanced with the public's right to peacefully assemble, express frustration, and demand accountability from their government.”
The letter also was signed by Brandon Ewing, Vance D. Wyatt, Wendy Meister and Esiah Campos. All are Democrats.
During the public comment portion of Monday’s meeting, several demonstrators questioned the board’s policy of not responding to speakers’ comments or questions, and they accused officials of not listening to their concerns. One repeatedly snapped his fingers at people on the dais and demanded they look at him.
On Tuesday, Trustee Daniel Juarez said officials have heard the comments and will continue listening.
“We all are, trust me,” Juarez said.
While defending the protesters’ free speech rights, Juarez said getting yelled at “stinks.” But he also acknowledged opening yourself up to public criticism is part of an elected official’s job.
rlissau@dailyherald.com