Past Event

Chicago's Finest

Asha Ransby-Sporn, a blogger for the Black Youth Project (BYP), will facilitate this discussion hosted in collaboration with YoungChicago Authors. 

From Asha Ransby-Sporn’s poem, “The Right of the People to Peaceably Assemble” on the BYP website.

 in their bullet proof spacesuits, 
bitter and shaking,
in their “i-think-they’ll-b-safe” suits,
they are
over armed, ready for attack
against the mob equipped
with a radical thirst.

Empty plastic water bottles soar at them,
these airborn frustrations
are the
unanswered pleas to 
our President come hometown

From “Chicago’s Finest” by Gerald D. Skoning

“Just for a moment, put yourself in their shoes. You are fully outfitted in riot gear, full battle regalia (bulky body armor, clunky steel-plated boots, helmets with full face shields). It is an oppressively hot and humid weekend day in May. The mercury is pushing 90 degrees and you are sweating profusely under your protective gear. You are face to face, eyeball to eyeball, with protestors of all stripes. Some serious, issues-related, peace advocates; some anti-capitalist egalitarians; some “Occupy wherever” groupies; and a handful of anarchists hell-bent on disruption for disruption’s sake.”

Questions for Consideration

What’s your take on Chicago’s performance dealing with the protests? Was it success that should be seen as a ‘how to’ for other cities or was the right to peaceably assemble compromised in any way? What could have been done differently on the part of the police and protesters? 

 Want to learn more?

 

Free and open to the public. For more information please call 312.422.5580.

If you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please call 312.422.5580. For parking locations near the facility, please visit ChicagoParkingMap.com.