Ald. Shiller Hounded Out of Her Own Press Conference

By Kate Gardiner in News on Aug 18, 2009 9:00PM

Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) came back from her vacation to a ward angered by recent violence and shootings. Witnesses said the alderman left a community meeting intended to address the Olympic bid surrounded by a crush of residents shouting, "Run, Helen, run."

Pete Leiser, an Uptown Update reader and neighborhood resident discussed Monday's protest with Chicagoist. Leiser said the community rallied together following a spate of violence over the weekend that left three people injured. "What happened was about 130 people that showed up... with some police presence," Leiser said. "We started [gathering] around 6, and around 7:30, we were told the Olympic meeting ended."

Leiser said the group intended to respect Shiller's office, though, he said, they had hoped the alderman would address the crowd. "NBC5 reported that [Shiller] decided to avoid the constituents and talk to press directly," said Leiser. "It wasn't quite like that." Leiser said his alderman said she was concerned, but that the district does not have enough "boots on the ground" to address the problem. "As she left the room," Leiser said. "Someone screamed that she's a liar and [she] waved them off and walked out. The people in the room surrounded her and crushed in on her - it was a big mass of people heading out the door."

"Then someone started yelling at her, "run Helen run," screaming her out the door," Leiser said. Leiser said he didn't know what was going to happen next, but that he doesn't think the Uptown situation is getting any better.

Uptown Update reported shots fired at 12:40 a.m. this morning. There will also be a CAPS meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Inspiration Cafe (4715 N Sheridan).