Protest Marks Anniversary of Iraq War and Mass Arrests on Michigan Avenue
By aaroncynic in News on Mar 21, 2011 4:00PM
This weekend marked the 8th anniversary of the beginning of the invasion of Iraq. Over 1,500 people marched downtown to mark the day, beginning in the Loop and rallying near Water Tower Place. More than 70 organizations participated, calling for an end to the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition to marching against U.S. military actions abroad, anti-war demonstrators had some slight cause for celebration, as the Seventh Circuit Court ruled that police wrongly arrested more than 900 people at a demonstration 8 years prior. In Vodrak v. City of Chicago, Judge Richard Posner ruled that police acted “without justification” in 2003 when they corralled and mass arrested anyone in the vicinity.
Judge Posner’s decision highlighted the confusing and contradictory orders given by police to demonstrators on March 20, 2003 and stated “demonstrators' misconduct cannot on the present record be thought to have justified the mass arrests of persons trapped by the police on Chicago Avenue.” John Stainthorp, a lawyer with the People’s Law Office and part of the legal team said via press release “We are pleased that the Court of Appeals has strongly reaffirmed the right of the people to protest the actions of the government and express their opposition to the war in Iraq.” The case was remanded to the district court for trial.