Photo by Mark Weyermuller
CHICAGO – Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was very unhappy about the group "Re-Open Illinois" organizing at the Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park on Memorial Day. She boasted via Twitter that the Re-Open Illinois rally posed an "unacceptable health risk" and was "dispersed" by the Chicago Police.
The Chicago media took the Mayor's word for it, and reported that the Chicago Police broke up the rally.
But Mayor Lightfoot's version of what happened doesn't line up with the version "Re-Open Illinois" rally organizers and attendees tell. Lake County Board member Dick Barr walked by a line of observing Chicago Police when leaving the rally – and says the police didn't interfere at all.
Steve Doetsch of Chicago also attended the Memorial Day rally. His version of what happened lines up more with Dick Barr's than Mayor Lightfoot's.
"I was at the E2 Grant Park Memorial Day Rally. To say the rally was 'broken up by police' as the news is reporting implies violence occurred and that simply did not happen. Police stood far away the entire time, except for one cop who spoke to rally organizers and I got his photo from behind," Doetsch said. "Many of our speakers encouraged us to cheer for the police and I asked some if I could take their photo. The rally was scheduled from 12-2pm and it ran for that time and ended a little after 2pm. It was completely civil and without incident."
A photo Doetsch took shows the Chicago police were a distance away from the rally and didn't appear to close in on the attendees. (Chicago Police are in the far distance on the right hand side of the photo)
One of the rally organizers – Kathryn Ballard of Rockford – told Illinois Review that the group did not apply for a permit, and the Chicago Police told them they could not use a speaker system or platform they brought along for the rally. The police allowed them to continue the outdoor meeting using a bullhorn.
"We told the police we planned a rally from noon to 2 PM, and the speakers ran over some," Ballard said. "One of the police did remind us that it was supposed to be over at 2, so at about 2:30 PM he told us we should finish up. It was nothing more than that."
Ballard said she's been stunned by the growing interest in the Re-Open Illinois movement. The group has held several rallies over the past month – starting at the State Capitol.
(L to R) Kathryn Ballard, Krystin Dodge and Austin Scott Davies – Facebook photo
"We set up a Facebook page on April 15th, and as of today, we have almost 38,000 followers. People of all types are upset with what Governor Pritzker is doing to keep small businesses closed in Illinois. We hear from more and more people all the time. They're asking us to do rallies in their areas – and keep the effort going."
Ballard said she and her husband own a small roofing company that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis in Illinois. "Our salesmen aren't allowed to solicit, so we're trying to do everything we can to keep them," she said. "We have the summer months when we do the most of our work for the year, and every day the re-opening is delayed, we're losing time and work."
Governor Pritzker has imposed a stay-at-home mandate on Illinoisans, allowing only "essential" workers to continue the work they started before his first emergency order was set in place in mid-March 2020. Last week, the governor tried to stop what he deems as "non-essential" businesses from opening before the time he set by threatening to charge business owners with misdemeanors that could have resulted in fines – and, as some thought – jail time.
The effort to "Re-Open Illinois" has drawn in business owners that are mandated by the state to close, employees who've been laid off due to those businesses shutting down, to people that want to exercise their religious liberties by going to church on Sundays – another activity Gov Pritzker's Administration has prohibited from returning thus far.
Those are the topics rally speakers touched upon – including State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) who filed a ground-breaking lawsuit against the governor's consecutive emergency orders during the COVID-19 crisis. Other speakers included Trump advisor economist Steven Moore and Anthony Delmedico, founder and CEO of the E² Movement, and executive producer of the "Unconstitutional"
documentary.
One rally attendee, Mary Beth Bianchi of Crete, told Illinois Review, "There was a different spirit at this rally, perhaps because of the heat that has been put on the governor and mayor to lift the bans. Maybe it was the vile comments from the opposition, or maybe it is just the battle of light and darkness. The police presence was very evident and on a couple of occasions reminded us to social distance."
Other than that, the police weren't needed at the rally, despite Mayor Lightfoot's claim.
"Overall it was very inspiring and gave you a sense that there is still a core group of believers that want God to intervene and are willing to do whatever it takes to change the corrupt system in Illinois," she said.
More to come on this topic later this week on Illinois Review.
