| <!-- @page { size: 8.27in 11.69in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> When I first arrived, the Kenilworth PD had told people affiliated with HCAN that because they had signs they would have to stay beyond the police tape across Melrose at Green Bay Road (GBR). The event was at the first house past the alley running parallel to GBR. One HCAN demonstrator said the police had informed him that Kennilworth ordinance restricted demonstrations to areas of commercial properties and prohibited demonstrations in residential areas. I asked for the part of village code that said this and an officer said he didn't know the exact number of the ordinance. But the claim didn't match what the police were enforcing since there was commercial property from GBR to the alley. Eventually, the HCAN demonstrators gained access to the main event. The HCAN leadership argued that since Kirk supporters had signs and the event was clearly spilling onto public property (traffic was barred from the entire block). And a woman from the orthodontist office was giving the police grief for requiring the demonstrators to congregate in front of her door. At one point a young guy with a tie came into the crowd and told the people with HCAN and the people carrying signs about immigration reform (from Illinois Coalition on Immigrant and Refugee Rights) that the police required them to be behind the police line at GBR. I stopped interviewing three Kirk supporters pointed out there were plenty of police around who could say what the police required and the guy with a tie stopped pushing the issue. When Kirk did start speaking the HCAN demonstrators chanted “health care now!” One or maybe a couple Kirk supporters responded with yelling “pay for it!” The HCAN supporters were then matched by about an equal noise level of “go Kirk go!” and the police used physical force and threats to remove the HCAN supporters from the crowd. They were told that if they were going to chant they needed to be behind the police tape, but not on the sidewalk in front of the orthodontist's office. At one point an large overweight Kirk supporter (the main guy yelling “pay for it”) confronted one of the HCAN leaders (John Gaudette, I'm pretty sure). This Kirk supporter was wearing a VFW hat, post 8741, Libertyville. He not only got in the face of the HCAN supporter but was pushing him in a way that was aggressive enough, I would have complained to the police or pushed back. The HCAN supporter stood his ground and argued his case while the Kirk supporter repeatedly used a loose fist against the smaller man's chest to make his point. The PA system being used by Kirk did not carry well. At the back of the crowd it was impossible to hear what Kirk said. The HCAN supporters (about a half dozen people using lung power) created far more noise with their chants (mostly “health care now”) than Kirk and the other speakers did. I rotated over to the alley where I could hear well enough to understand what Kirk was saying. He said that “so few of us have military service... [Illinois] should send a veteran to the U.S. Senate.” He wants to “check runaway spending by this Congress.” He claimed he's given “a lifetime of service to the defense of the United States.” Then he said something about drugs, gangs and terrorists. Then he began pandering to ethnic groups through foreign policy. He mentioned the genocide of 1915. He mentioned the Assyrians and embattled Christians. And he proclaimed that, “Israel's greatest ally in Congress will be Mark Kirk.” He then gave a sort of four point platform: -
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Kirk will oppose corruption he will oppose out-of-control spending he won't let government get between “you and your doctor” and Kirk will “think about the troops morning, afternoon and night”
As I was leaving there was an altercation between a Kirk supporter and two HCAN people. I did not see the original incident but I did witness how the Kennilworth PD handled it. The HCAN people were chanting from behind the police tape, in the street (but there were no cars because the street was blocked). Some Kirk supporters were coming over to argue or yell/chant back. The HCAN people were raising the complaint that Kirk supporters were chanting within the taped off area so the HCAN supporters should be allowed also. The police responded that it was different. The event was breaking up and Kirk supporters were leaving. Since the 8-10 HCAN people were in the street there was plenty of room on the sidewalks and parkway to walk out without interacting with the HCAN supporters (beyond hearing the chants). One Kirk supporter walked especially close to Joe Gerard, a HCAN supporter. The Kirk supporter then grabbed Gerard's arm to pull down the improvise megaphone (a rolled poster) Gerard was using. Gaudette saw this and pushed the Kirk supporter away from Gerard. All three people seemed to agree on these facts. At least three Kennilworth PD officers responded quickly. They did a good job getting people apart and addressing the officers instead of each other. It initially looked like the Kirk supporter was going to be cited. The Kirk supporter about 6'2”-6'3” and muscular said he was provoked by Gerard yelling in his ear. (Gerard and Gaudette are both 5'11-6'1” and of average build.) While the officers did take the Kirk supporter's personal info, I did not see a citation written and the guy was allowed to walk away after a couple minutes. Since Gaudette admitted to pushing the Kirk supporter the police focused on him. SGT Miller was the Kennilworth officer who seemed to be in command. I would characterize his behavior as partisan, belligerent in attitude and using more physical force than necessary. Miller was the one who decided to let the Kirk supporter go. After the police stopped focusing on Gerard, who was a victim, Officer Burns said threateningly, “Understand the situation. I think you do.” |
