Chicago cuts deal with nurses over protest rally Before NATO Summit
City officials and a national nurses organization cut a deal today that will allow a protest rally in Daley Plaza next Friday before the NATO summit begins, in return for the nurses dropping their plans to march through downtown.
Earlier this week the city revoked permission for the nurses group to march to Daley Plaza on May 18 on the grounds that the demonstration was expected to grow well beyond the estimated crowd of 1,000 people.
The march was to be diverted to Grant Park for the rally. Other protest groups joined the nurses in attacking the move as a city attempt to limit free speech during the May 20-21 gathering of world leaders in Chicago.
“This is an important victory for democracy, for free speech rights, and for the voice of nurses to be heard as we sound the call for a new vision and new priorities to hear our nation,” said Karen Higgins, co-president of National Nurses United.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-city-cuts-deal-with-nurses-over-protest-rally-20120511,0,6112649.story