Activism & Protesting

The O’Hare and Midway airports are operated by the Chicago Department of Aviation. At both airports, there are sites for leafleting inside the terminals, and sites for small demonstrations on the abutting sidewalks. The Department of Aviation has created a permit application process and rules for these protest sites.

The plaza next to the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago, owned by the State of Illinois, is a public forum enjoying great First Amendment protection. The Thompson Center Plaza is operated by Illinois Central Management Services, which has issued rules for using the Thompson Center plaza, and a permit application process.

The plaza next to the federal Kluczynski Building and Loop Post Office, owned by the U.S. government, is a public forum enjoying great First Amendment protection. The Federal Plaza is operated by the federal General Services Administration, which has issued rules for public properties like the Federal Plaza, and a permit application process.

McCormick Place, one of the nation’s largest convention centers, is located on Lake Michigan just south of downtown. It is owned and operated by a government agency known as the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority. The MPEA allows leafleting at doors into McCormick Place, and rallies and picketing at two sites near the convention center.

A comprehensive guide of techniques to help keep you safe before, during, and after a protest. While this zine was written for New York protests and contains help lines for that area, the content on de-escalation, tech awareness, and knowing your rights are applicable anywhere.

Document from the ALCU: KNOW YOUR RIGHT TO PROTEST IN CHICAGO

De ACLU: El Congreso no hará ninguna ley que respeta a un establecimiento de religión ni la que se prohíbe el ejercicio libre de la misma ni que coarte la libertad de expresión ni de prensa ni el derecho del pueblo para reunirse pacíficamente y para pedir al gobierno una reparación de agravios.