City will keep Daley Plaza open during summits
A coalition hoping to stage protests at Daley Plaza during the G8 and NATO summits next spring could get its wish, after Chicago officials promised that the venue would be open to the public during the meetings of world leaders.
In a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union this week, the Public Building Commission said the popular downtown gathering spot would be “open to public assembly and public activity” during the summits, May 19-20. The commission also said the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda could reapply for a permit to use the plaza.
Last month, the real estate company that manages Daley Plaza for the building commission rejected an application from the group, saying it was “not approving any permits for the use of the plaza” during the summits.
A spokeswoman for the commission, Mimi Simon, said the company made a mistake by acting on the application before Jan. 1, and the commission said it will work with the property manager to review and act on applications “in a timely fashion.”
Joe Iosbaker, one of the coalition’s organizers, said the group is hopeful, but won’t count on anything until it has the permit in hand.
“We have a victory in that the tone or stance of (Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s) administration has changed, but we don’t have the permit yet,” said Iosbaker, who heads the United National Antiwar Committee in Chicago.
His is one of dozens of groups opposing issues from war to globalization to poverty that came together to organize what could be the largest demonstrations in Chicago in years.
Organizers say tens of thousands of people may converge on the city for the meetings between members of NATO and the Group of Eight — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the U.S. The meetings will include discussions about the future of coalition operations in Afghanistan.
Protesters also want a permit to march more than two miles from Daley Plaza to McCormick Place, where the summit meetings are expected to be held, then protest “within 100 feet” of a doorway, Iosbaker said.
Emanuel wants to increase fines and tighten security measures in preparation for the summits, saying the measures are needed temporarily because the summits are a “unique event with a unique attention to the city.”
Proposals include raising fines for resisting a police officer to between $200 and $1,000 — they now range from $25 to $500 — closing parks, playgrounds and beaches overnight for longer periods of time and allowing the police superintendent to deputize officers with other law enforcement agencies.