City Warns Of Election Night Protests But Few In Works So Far – Block Club Chicago
DOWNTOWN The citys emergency management agency is alerting residents to possible election night protests throughout the city. But so far, many activist groups have not signaled any plans to demonstrate.
Chicagos Office of Emergency Management and Communications alerted residents Tuesday afternoon of expected protest activity at six locations.
People should expect possible traffic disruptions and protests at Federal Plaza, Millennium Park, Hyde Park, Union Park, Wrigley Field and Palmer Square Park, according to the alerts.
City officials have been preparing for possible election-related protests, but most activist groups in the city have not announced plans for election night activity.
Organizers for some groups, including GoodKids MadCity, said they are not planning election night protests, although some are scheduled for Wednesday.
Despite that, some businesses have boarded up their windows and doors ahead of election results.
As polls closed Tuesday, city officials raised the Wabash Avenue bridge over the Chicago River to prevent access to Trump Tower. Police officials in tweets showed officers stationed throughout the city.
An OEMC spokesperson said in a statement there are a small number of demonstrations that we are aware of and officials are committed to protecting residents First Amendment Right to peacefully demonstrateand we are prepared to protect that right while keeping all residents and businesses safe.
Various city agencies met for a briefing on election night preparedness Tuesday, according to the emergency management agency.
Through Sunday, there will be more officers on patrol, the citys Office of Emergency Management and Communications will monitor any activity and crowds and the city has sent out garbage trucks and other large vehicles to protect business-heavy strips in the neighborhoods, the Mayors Office announced Friday.
RELATED: City Putting More Cops On Streets, Protecting Businesses Over Concerns About Election Day Unrest
Officials said they hope the measures can make people feel safer as they cast a ballot and await results during what is expected to be a tense week.
The citys efforts are focused on two issues, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday: election integrity and public safety.
Critics have expressed concern on social media over the plan, which largely mirrors what the city did over the summer, when there were large protests over police violence and when businesses were looted and vandalized. Protesters and officers routinely and, at times, violently clashed.
Lightfoot did not directly say officers wouldnt interfere in potential protests, but she said police will support people who are expressing their First Amendment rights though she repeatedly said Chicagoans should be peaceful.
I want to stress that while CPD is focused on crime prevention, our officers will continue to ensure residents expressing First Amendment rights are protected and given the support they need to stay safe, Lightfoot said.
Chicago: We have to be smart, safe and peaceful. No matter the outcomes of next Tuesdays elections, we all know that emotions will be high because they already are. I urged you to channel those emotions into peaceful and productive expressions.
Block Club Chicagos election coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.
Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make fundsreportingfrom Chicagos neighborhoods.
Already subscribe?Click hereto support Block Clubwith a tax-deductible donation.
Go here to read the rest:
City Warns Of Election Night Protests But Few In Works So Far - Block Club Chicago
- The Alex Pretti shooting and the growing strain on the First Amendment - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Opinion | Jack Smith is in First Amendment denial about trying to gag Trump - The Washington Post - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Are you protesting? Here's what to know about your rights to protest under the First Amendment. - tallahassee.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Anti-ICE protesters disrupted worship in a Minnesota church. Heres why the First Amendment doesnt protect their actions. - FIRE | Foundation for... - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- CARTOONS: What the First Amendment doesnt protect | Drawing Board | Opinion - reviewjournal.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- OPINION In these crazy times: The First Amendment will outlive Trump - windycitytimes.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Man Is Shot and Killed During Minneapolis Immigration Crackdown, National Guard Activated - First Amendment Watch - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Perspective: When First Amendment rights collide with immigration enforcement - Deseret News - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Walking Brain Injury: Conservatives Mock Don Lemon for Claiming First Amendment Right to Storm Church - Mediaite - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: Using First Amendment rights responsibly... - Columbia Basin Herald - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- ICE clashes with the First Amendment | Strictly Legal - Cincinnati Enquirer - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Ex-NAACP Leader Jim Vincent to Headline Inaugural Bankole Thompson First Amendment Lecture - FrontPageAfrica - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- Sarasota mayor accused of violating First Amendment by cutting off speakers - yoursun.com - January 20th, 2026 [January 20th, 2026]
- VICTORY: Jury finds Tennessee high school students suspension for sharing memes violated the First Amendment - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights... - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Opinion | The Post and the First Amendment - The Washington Post - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- So Much for Free Speech. A Year of Trumps Attacks on the First Amendment - Zeteo | Substack - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Houlahan and Bicameral Group Of Democrats Introduce Bill To Protect First Amendment Rights, Safeguard Americans From Politically Motivated Harassment... - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Sarasota mayor accused of violating First Amendment by cutting off speakers - Suncoast Searchlight - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- ACLU and City of Rose Bud reach settlement protecting First Amendment right to petition - thv11.com - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment cases are rising. FSU Law is rising to the occasion - FSView & Florida Flambeau - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Press Freedom Advocates Worry That Raid on Washington Post Journalists Home Will Chill Reporting - First Amendment Watch - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Guest Column First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - Pierce County Journal - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Democrats Say Trump Administration Is Investigating Them Over Video Message to Troops - First Amendment Watch - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Coshocton Schools accused of violating First Amendment after teacher leads prayer - NBC4 WCMH-TV - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- His SC hometown blocked him on Facebook after critical comment. He filed a First Amendment lawsuit. - Post and Courier - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Letters: Americans should not face death for exercising their First Amendment rights - Reporter-Herald - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Federal judge rules Creston teacher's first amendment rights were violated - KMAland.com - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- Press Release: Murphy and Crow Introduce Bill to Safeguard First Amendment Rights and Combat Politically Motivated Harassment - Quiver Quantitative - January 16th, 2026 [January 16th, 2026]
- New Yorks Anti-SLAPP Act: An Unnecessary Chill on the First Amendment Right to Petition - Law.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Minnesota and the Twin Cities Sue the Federal Government To Stop the Immigration Crackdown - First Amendment Watch - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Man Convicted for Carrying Pelosis Podium During US Capitol Riot Seeks Florida County Office - First Amendment Watch - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- 'At issue is the public right of access': First Amendment group savages Mar-a-Lago judge for 'incorrect' ruling over Jack Smith report, urges appeals... - January 11th, 2026 [January 11th, 2026]
- NYS AG: "Most extensive" First Amendment reforms ever approved in Saratoga Springs - WRGB - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Opinion | Jack Smith would have blown a hole in the First Amendment - The Washington Post - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Court rules University of Washington violated professors First Amendment rights - Campus Reform - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Law's Jonathan Entin and Eric Chaffee on first amendment rights and social media access for children - Case Western Reserve University - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Guest Column First Amendment and what it means to teen-agers - Milwaukee Community Journal - - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Voting rights, First Amendment issues expected to be battles in Pierre - SDPB - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Teachers First Amendment rights - theacorn.com - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- OPINION: The First Amendment and peacefully protesting - Big Rapids Pioneer - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Appeals court reviews excluded texts and alleged First Amendment claim in Tucker medicalmalpractice appeal - Citizen Portal AI - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Sen. Mark Kelly vows to fight for First Amendment amid Pentagon threats - USA Today - January 9th, 2026 [January 9th, 2026]
- Musk's X is joining a First Amendment fight over trans bathroom photo - USA Today - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Filming ICE agents is a First Amendment right. So why might it land you in jail? - Straight Arrow News - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Liberties Year in Review: First Amendment victories - wng.org - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
- Trump Administration Will Appeal Judges Order Reversing Federal Funding Cuts at Harvard - First Amendment Watch - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- Housing, tourism and the First Amendment: Nevada editors reflect on the news year that was 2025 - KNPR - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- FCC fights First Amendment and democracy itself - mronline.org - December 25th, 2025 [December 25th, 2025]
- First Amendment Stories of 2025: A Year in Review - Freedom Forum - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Trump tests the First Amendment: A timeline - CNN - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Professor Sanctioned by University for a Satirical Land Acknowledgment Wins First Amendment Case on Appeal - The New York Sun - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Trump Sues the BBC: First Amendment Analysis - Freedom Forum - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Madisons Lost First Amendment: The Mission Statement that Never Was - Jurist.org - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Let them sue: Iowa lawmakers scoffed at First Amendment in wake of Charlie Kirk shooting, records show - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and... - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Pastor alleges Tarrant County judge violated First Amendment by removing him from meeting - Fort Worth Report - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Yes, the First Amendment Applies to Non-Citizens Present in the United States - Reason Magazine - December 22nd, 2025 [December 22nd, 2025]
- Gingrich: Going After People Who Have Been Radicalized Requires Rethinking Parts Of The First Amendment - Real Clear Politics - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- [VIDEO] Jane Fonda Revives the Committee for the First Amendment - ACLU of Southern California - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Does The First Amendment Protect Supposedly Addictive Algorithms? - Hoover Institution - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Stop the gatekeeping. The First Amendment is for all of us - Freedom of the Press Foundation - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Why 'online speech is messy' when it comes to the First Amendment - WUSF - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- Puerto Rico Governor Signs Bill That Critics Say Will Restrict Access to Public Information - First Amendment Watch - December 16th, 2025 [December 16th, 2025]
- How a Gossip Blogger Became the Poster Child for First Amendment Rights | On the Media - WNYC Studios | Podcasts - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- JD Vance floats First Amendment 'exception' to ban '6-7' - Fox News - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Free speech advocates rally to support FIREs defense of First Amendment protections for drag shows - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and... - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Law's Andrew Geronimo discusses political websites and the first amendment - Case Western Reserve University - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Texas runs afoul of the First Amendment with new limits on faculty course materials - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- First Amendment expert weighs in on new University of Florida neutrality policy - WCJB - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Public libraries in TX, LA, and MS are no longer protected by the First Amendment. - Literary Hub - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Congressman Murphy introduces bills to fortify First Amendment rights on college campuses - WCTI - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Oregon lawsuit accuses Trump admin of chilling First Amendment rights during ICE protests - KOIN.com - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- The Man Accused of Killing Charlie Kirk Appears in Court for 1st Time as a Judge Weighs Media Access - First Amendment Watch - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- ICEBlock App Maker Sues Trump Administration Over Its Pressure on Apple To Remove App - First Amendment Watch - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Federal judge to hear arguments on motion in professor's First Amendment lawsuit against UT - WBIR - December 12th, 2025 [December 12th, 2025]
- Inside the First Amendment fight over how Los Angeles polices words - USA Today - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Brands, bands, trademarks and the First Amendment - The Global Legal Post - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- First Amendment in flux: When free-speech protections came up against the Red Scare - Free Speech Center - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- The Pentagon and the FBI are investigating 6 legislators for exercising their First Amendment rights - Reason Magazine - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Corporations Say Its Their First Amendment Right To Hide - The Lever - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]
- Campus Crackdown on the First Amendment - Folio Weekly - November 30th, 2025 [November 30th, 2025]