Rally participants support Arlington Heights library after controversy
It wasn't exactly the 21st century version of a Flower Power protest from 1967's Summer of Love.
But close enough.
"Love is Power!" one sign shouted.
"Hate has no home here!" another sign proclaimed.
An estimated 250 chanting people Saturday morning rallied on the sidewalk outside of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library to support the kind of community values you'd normally hear about in an old Frank Capra movie, and to stand against hatred, bigotry and xenophobia.
"We support all of our neighbors," Cassie Wagner, a Mount Prospect resident and a leader in the "We the People" activist group, told the crowd. "We support our immigrant neighbors! And we support our library! When libraries are open, democracy is open, too!"
Mike Taylor, a 17-year resident of Arlington Heights, said he came to the rally to support the library, "so that libraries can promote freedom of speech, discussion, and not be closed by intimidation. But I understand the reasons why they did what they did."
What they did at the library was cancel a Monday night "Know Your Rights" program tailored to immigrants, so they could be brought up to speed on new rules and regulations affecting citizenship, employment and opportunities.
The cancellation occurred after library officials, including library board president Deb Smart, received numerous objections to the class, as well as several threats so severe that she called the police.
The cancellation prompted some backlash against the library.
"Shame! Library caves to racist pressure," one sign proclaimed on Saturday.
Yet, most of the protesters did not focus on the library's darned-if-you-do/darned-if-you-don't decision. They preferred to mount a consolidated message of unity, peace, acceptance and, yes, even love.
"We are better than hate speech!" Ann Gillespie, an Arlington Heights resident, said to the crowd.
Gillespie, who is running for state Senate in the 27th District, earned several rounds of applause for her message of strength, saying the rally defines who the people of the Northwest suburbs truly are.
"Libraries are a place of learning," she said. "They're a place where people come together to share ideas. No one should ever feel fearful to come to a library to learn. And nobody who works at the library should ever feel fearful to come to work or to put on an educational program."
"Don't silence our libraries" a sign warned.
A library official was expected to address the crowd, but just before noon, Wagner announced no official would speak.
"This happened in Arlington Heights this week," Wagner said. "Let's not be naive. It could happen in Mount Prospect tomorrow, in Rolling Meadows, Des Plaines, Palatine. We want to show people that when we see this happen, when we see hate in our communities, we're going to be out here loud and strong against it!"
Her sentiments were echoed by Arlington Heights resident Nicolle See Grasse, identified as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ.
"Where there is injustice," she said, "I will be there to fight it."