Palatine store gets backlash for pro-police rally despite it not being involved
An initial announcement that an upcoming pro-police rally would meet in the parking lot of a Palatine business prompted some backlash on social media, but the owners of the business and its shopping center were not involved in the plans, village officials said.
The "Back the Blue Palatine" rally will take place Oct. 4. The announcement on social media Monday asked people to meet in the parking lot of Mutual Ace Hardware, but that was later updated to say the meeting point is Rita L. Mullins Volunteer Plaza at Northwest Highway and North Hicks Road.
The change in location came after mixed reaction on social media, with supporters rejoicing at the rally and detractors saying they would organize a counterprotest. Several people said they contacted the hardware store to express their disappointment and that they would boycott the store.
A flier for the event did not list an organizer but gave an email address. There was no response to a request for comment.
Kyle Sheahen, owner of Mutual Ace Hardware, said the store is not associated with the Oct. 4 event, which does not require a village permit.
"As a local business in the Palatine community, we respect individuals' rights to have varying viewpoints and believe all people should be treated with respect and civility," Sheahen said in a statement.
The owner of the Palatine Plaza shopping center also was not involved in the rally, Village Manager Reid Ottesen said Tuesday.
"They (the organizers) never had permission from the property owner. In fact the owner contacted us yesterday saying he had never been contacted about this," Ottesen said, adding the rally's organizers were told they cannot be on shopping center property.
The Palatine Township Republican Organization, which shared the event's information on its Facebook page, supports the rally's mission, committeeman Aaron Del Mar said. "There is a strong undercurrent of people that want to show support for the men and woman that serve. There's been so many public displays through Black Lives Matter ... this is something to show that we are supportive and trying to add morale to the police force."
It's unfortunate that people would jump to conclusions and penalize the store, particularly when businesses are suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Del Mar said.
Others are organizing a counterprotest Oct. 4.
"I feel that having a Blue Lives Matter protest ... I don't like the idea, because I don't feel as if it's that big of an issue," one of the organizers said. "Anybody can quit being a cop, they sign up for that job. I don't think 'blue lives' exist."
The village respects everyone's rights to speech and expression, Ottesen said. "All we are trying to do with any of these gatherings is make sure those attending and those that would be passing by are safe," he said.