AAI in the news: Chicago police bracing for 300,000-strong march

--------------------
Chicago police bracing for 300,000-strong march
--------------------

Tribune staff report

April 27, 2006, 4:37 PM CDT

Chicago police officials said today they are expecting up to 300,000
people to march and rally for immigrant rights in the city's downtown
Monday afternoon.

During an afternoon news conference at Chicago police headquarters,
Deputy Supt. Charles Williams said police anticipate many of the
immigrant groups to be peaceful and stressed that officers will be in
"soft uniforms" rather than black riot gear.

"Crowds are expected to double, maybe triple from the last march,"
Williams said, referring to the March 10 immigrant rights rally that
brought about 100,000 people to the Loop, according to police estimates.

Monday's rally is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at Union Park, 1501 W.
Randolph St., where marchers will gather before heading eastbound on
Randolph to southbound Des Plaines Street.

The crowd will then turn east onto Monroe Street and Jackson Boulevard
at the same time and head to southbound Columbus Drive, a police news
release said.

The protesters will finish the rally at Grant Park's Hutchinson Field at
Balbo Drive, where they are expected to disperse and head home in the
late afternoon.

Separately today, organizers of the protest said U.S. citizens and
established ethnic groups are playing key roles in putting the event on.

Some groups organizing Monday's demonstration also participated in the
March 10 rally, but a wider range of groups are now involved.

A spokeswoman for the organizers, Kathy Salgado, said the number of
organizations involved has soared to 200 from around 50 several weeks
ago.

They include Hispanic organizations but also groups like the Asian
American Institute, the Pan African Association and the Polish American
Association.

The Polish group is urging Chicago's Polish-language media to publicize
the march. It's also asking priests to speak about it from the pulpit.

Tribune staff reporters David Heinzmann and Dan P. Blake and the
Associated Press contributed. Copyright (c) 2006, Chicago Tribune