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Title: Chicago Police Bracing For 300,000-Strong March
Source:
www.chicagotribune.com
URL Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ ... hi-news-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true
Published: Apr 27, 2006
Author: By David Heinzmann
Post Date: 2006-04-28 16:01:08 by Mind_Virus
Keywords: None
Views: 128
Comments: 2
Chicago Police Bracing For 300,000-Strong March By David Heinzmann Tribune staff reporter Published April 27, 2006, 9:13 PM CDT Chicago police are expecting as many as 300,000 demonstrators Monday at an immigration rights rally downtown, but officials said they are hopeful the event will be orderly. However, even if all goes as expected, authorities said Thursday that they anticipate traffic gridlock in the Loop, crowded train stations and street closings that could change from moment to moment. Crowd sizes are difficult to predict but because of extra publicity and a venue change from Federal Plaza to the roomier Grant Park the event may be larger than one held about seven weeks ago. "Crowds are expected to double, maybe triple from the last march," said Charles Williams, deputy superintendent for the patrol bureau. Williams stressed that march organizers have been cooperating, and police hope to maintain a lower profile than at anti-war and anti-globalization rallies. "If you have an orderly and peaceful march, you don't need overwhelming numbers of police officers," Williams said. Police will be outfitted in their normal, blue "soft uniforms" rather than black body armor and riot gear, he said. Police expect protesters from other causes will join the demonstration, but Williams said the department is confident that the organizers' cooperation will help keep the event under control. Still, children's safety is a concern. At the March 10 march some children became separated from their families. On Monday, a public safety tent near Lake Shore and Balbo Drives will have a special area for lost children and the elderly. Williams suggested parents attach a tag with names and phone numbers to their children's clothing. With thousands of people walking from Union Park at the corner of Ashland Avenue and Randolph Street through the Loop to the lakefront park, police and transportation officials anticipate traffic jams. Portions of Randolph, Desplaines Street, Jackson Boulevard, Columbus Drive and Michigan Avenue will be closed during the late morning and afternoon to accommodate the march, which begins at noon. Elevated trains would be a better way to travel than buses on affected routes, said Cecelia Comito, chief of staff for the Chicago Transit Authority. Some trains will be kept at their rush-hour lengths of six to eight cars all day to handle the larger crowds, Comito said. She also recommended that riders have paid fare cards in hand before heading to train stations and bus stops to cut down on vending machine lines. Metra officials are drawing up their own plans, said spokesman Patrick Waldron. "We're using the best guesses at this point as to where people are going to be and at what time they are going to be there so we can position equipment so we can carry as many people as possible," Waldron said. He also encouraged people to buy monthly passes Friday, rather than Monday, to cut down on lines at downtown stations. Despite the large crowds March 10, that demonstration was finished by 6 p.m., Williams said. With speeches in Grant Park planned for 3 p.m. Monday, he said he hopes for a repeat. "If I can match that same time, I will be happy," he said. Tribune staff reporter Virginia Groark contributed to this report.
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#1. To: Mind_Virus (#0)
BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAH It will be more than that.
 | What's that Mr. Nipples? You want me to ask the nice lady about her rack?. |
#2. To: Mind_Virus (#0)
Interesting slip here. Wouldn't want to make the SOB's feel unwelcome now would we?
police hope to maintain a lower profile than at anti-war and anti-globalization rallies.
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