Our Bodies
Do Matter
March Info
Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws: Coalition for Reproductive Justice & LGBTQ+ Liberation invites you to join us on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
NOTE: This march is not during the convention, it is the evening before. Other marches and actions from allied groups will take place during the convention, and we’ll add those here as they are announced.
Where:
Water Tower Park, Chicago
When:
5pm August 18, 2024
Check back here for more details and resources.
Sign up to get updates and reminders about the march:
We’re Suing the City!
We filed a lawsuit with the ACLU in federal court. We are challenging the City of Chicago’s violations of the First Amendment when denying our request for a permit.
We will be marching with or without a permit!
“Rather than make room for free speech, the City has denied multiple permit requests, authorized undefined security zones, and adopted a new mass arrest policy in time for the Convention.” —Rebecca Glenberg, ACLU of Illinois
Resources for Attendees
Know Your Rights: Protestors’ Rights
The following is an excerpt from the ACLU’s guidance on your right to protest.
NOTE: This in no way implies the ACLU is affiliated with this march. This guidance is not legal advice.
The First Amendment protects your right to assemble and express your views through protest. However, police and other government officials are allowed to place certain narrow restrictions on the exercise of speech rights. Make sure you’re prepared by brushing up on your rights before heading out into the streets.
Your rights
Your rights are strongest in what are known as “traditional public forums,” such as streets, sidewalks, and parks. You also likely have the right to speak out on other public property, like plazas in front of government buildings, as long as you are not blocking access to the government building or interfering with other purposes the property was designed for.
Private property owners can set rules for speech on their property. The government may not restrict your speech if it is taking place on your own property or with the consent of the property owner.
Counterprotesters also have free speech rights. Police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally. Police are permitted to keep antagonistic groups separated but should allow them to be within sight and sound of one another.
When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police. On private property, the owner may set rules related to photography or video.
You don’t need a permit to march in the streets or on sidewalks, as long as marchers don’t obstruct car or pedestrian traffic. If you don’t have a permit, police officers can ask you to move to the side of a street or sidewalk to let others pass or for safety reasons.
What to do if you believe your rights have been violated
When you can, write down everything you remember, including the officers’ badge and patrol car numbers and the agency they work for.
Get contact information for witnesses.
Take photographs of any injuries.
Once you have all of this information, you can file a written complaint with the agency’s internal affairs division or civilian complaint board.
What happens if the police issues an order to disperse the protest?
Shutting down a protest through a dispersal order must be law enforcement’s last resort. Police may not break up a gathering unless there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, interference with traffic, or other immediate threat to public safety.
If officers issue a dispersal order, they must provide a reasonable opportunity to comply, including sufficient time and a clear, unobstructed exit path.
Individuals must receive clear and detailed notice of a dispersal order, including how much time they have to disperse, the consequences of failing to disperse, and what clear exit route they can follow, before they may be arrested or charged with any crime.
