General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLive Video Thousands Shutting Down Expressway in Chicago for Anti Violence!
http://abc7chicago.com/live/This is organized by a priest in Chicago on the south side.
Mayor rahm has verbalized support for the protest (he is up for election)
virgogal
(10,178 posts)major hospitals?
mucifer
(23,487 posts)it's the south side of the city. They just shut down the expressway!
I'm glad the local new is covering it live.
Damn right wingers can't say Chicago activists don't do anything to stop the violence here. There have been many protests over the years but this is the biggest one.
former9thward
(31,949 posts)It was a dumb protest to block travel and will just cause thousands, if not tens of thousands, to go to the other side.
mucifer
(23,487 posts)former9thward
(31,949 posts)Ambulances can't go through jammed traffic from the Ryan. Red lights are the least of their problems. You will see campaign commercials with the traffic jam used in the Fall.
mucifer
(23,487 posts)I am sure they have all sorts of internal alerts not to take the Ryan this morning. It's like "Bike the Drive". The city knows about it.
former9thward
(31,949 posts)So they go on "alternate" routes and clog them. Ambulances can't go down the sidewalks. When the political attack commercials come out this Fall people will be saying "Why didn't they think about the what our political opponents could do with this". Too late now. ...
snowybirdie
(5,219 posts)Highway goes north and south on the east side of the city. Mainly the major highway into the Loop area of Chicago. Heavily traveled day and night. There are hospitals in the neighborhoods nearby but they can use side streets for access. I wish them well, but they really haven't specified exactly what they want. They are mad and want change, but stopping a highway isn't going to do that. A great cause, but I'm not sure what will be accomplished by this protest.
mucifer
(23,487 posts)and discussing it live. It does put pressure on the politicians.
But elected officials are more worried about reelection rather than actually doing anything to improve the lot of the southside. Mayor and Alderman have created a lot of the distress in the neighborhoods. They do all for the wealthy sections and business, but little for the regular people. I grew up in the area and it breaks my heart to see what's happened to my old home town. I see hundreds of police and govt. workers protecting the marchers today. Costly and would it be better to use that money for protection and help in the neighborhoods themselves? I have no answer, but feel the pain of these people.
virgogal
(10,178 posts)MountCleaners
(1,148 posts)You would take 294, which is longer, but do-able. The Dan Ryan is the expressway that goes from the south side and south suburbs to downtown. As for hospitals, people would probably take an arterial route like King Drive or Stony Island. Hell, we always take Stony to LSD when going downtown because the Ryan is a pain.
Guns are really unpopular in Chicago and the occasional protest is not an unheard of sight, but it's usually on LSD or some of the streets downtown. Some of the traffic jams on the Ryan have been worse.
By the way, this isn't "local news" just because it was in the Tribune. It was on CBS and MSNBC.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)mucifer
(23,487 posts)bobbieinok
(12,858 posts)I checked wikipedia
I remember him from the 08 primary and election
His name is great! Pfleger is German for a man who cares. (The v appropriate name is why I remember him.)
Many have forgotten that Obama was a community organizer on the south side of Chicago, the site of the protest and also where Father Pfleger works.
bobbieinok
(12,858 posts)The Breitbart site is 1 of the 1st to come up when searching for Father Pfleger.
CincyDem
(6,338 posts)...he's a good guy at heart.
An early claim to fame was his campaign to get rid of joe camel on the basis that using a cartoon to advertise cigarettes was a subconscious appeal to kids.
He also went after malt liquor advertisers who only bought billboards in minority neighborhoods, focusing the higher alcohol beverage into poorer areas.
Anyway - he's got his quirks but he's a good guy. Not sure if he still plays but he was a hell of a church organist too.
bobbieinok
(12,858 posts)demmiblue
(36,824 posts)I am surprised that an article about this was shutdown in LBN... it has been reported nationally (saw it on Joy earlier) and reflects movements that have gone on/are going on around the country regarding gun violence.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Now we know why they are walking in the middle of one of the busiest expressways in Chicago
What they had to do to be seen and heard !
There were many local voices I heard and it was a positive protest
Kudos to our local TVnews for covering live as OP link shows
At one point authorities wanted to keep one lane open alongside the marchers . Very unsafe and not the plan but they finally closed it all off making an impact . People were lined up on the overpasses too . I do not know if they showed that
nolabear
(41,937 posts)I was looking for a feed.
wryter2000
(46,023 posts)I was just at the dealership for an oil change, and it was all over the tv there.
nolabear
(41,937 posts)GoCubsGo
(32,075 posts)Then I saw that Rahm is up for re-election. OTOH, I suspect that he, the CPD and everyone else is just as fed up with the violence. There's only so much they can do, especially while the ratbastard governors of Illinois and surrounding states refuse do do anything about gun control, or about the economic conditions that drive people into gangs.