Lawyer Seeking Preliminary Injunction in Protest Hours Lawsuit Appear Outside ICE Facility
A lawyer advocating for the rights of protesters outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Chicago has continued to push for change, despite a federal judge's decision yet to be made on his preliminary injunction motion. Robert Held, a board member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, appeared outside the 1930 Beach St facility on Thursday, expressing his hope that a federal judge will uphold the rights of ordinary working people to exercise their First Amendment rights beyond the restricted hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Held had previously filed a motion for a preliminary injunction last Friday as part of his federal lawsuit against the Village of Broadview over its recent restrictions on protests near the ICE facility. The village's executive order, signed by Mayor Katrina Thompson, limits protests to designated areas and hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., arguing that this restricts people who work traditional employment hours from protesting outside.
The lawsuit argues that this approach doesn't provide an alternative for protesters who can only take time off during the restricted hours. Held made it clear that he believes the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and assembly, should not be subject to a time clock.
Held also called on Governor JB Pritzker to join the protesters at the site, saying his absence was telling in terms of the nation's direction. He emphasized the importance of educating people about their rights and standing up for themselves, urging individuals to engage with one another and hold public officials accountable.
The Village of Broadview has yet to respond to requests for comment on Held's filing for a preliminary injunction, while the court has yet to make its decision.
A lawyer advocating for the rights of protesters outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Chicago has continued to push for change, despite a federal judge's decision yet to be made on his preliminary injunction motion. Robert Held, a board member of the Chicago Council of Lawyers, appeared outside the 1930 Beach St facility on Thursday, expressing his hope that a federal judge will uphold the rights of ordinary working people to exercise their First Amendment rights beyond the restricted hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Held had previously filed a motion for a preliminary injunction last Friday as part of his federal lawsuit against the Village of Broadview over its recent restrictions on protests near the ICE facility. The village's executive order, signed by Mayor Katrina Thompson, limits protests to designated areas and hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., arguing that this restricts people who work traditional employment hours from protesting outside.
The lawsuit argues that this approach doesn't provide an alternative for protesters who can only take time off during the restricted hours. Held made it clear that he believes the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and assembly, should not be subject to a time clock.
Held also called on Governor JB Pritzker to join the protesters at the site, saying his absence was telling in terms of the nation's direction. He emphasized the importance of educating people about their rights and standing up for themselves, urging individuals to engage with one another and hold public officials accountable.
The Village of Broadview has yet to respond to requests for comment on Held's filing for a preliminary injunction, while the court has yet to make its decision.
. Remember when protests were about speaking out against injustice without some corporate lawyer trying to shut you down? Like what happened back in '98 during the Clinton impeachment hearings, it was all about free speech and holding those in power accountable. Now, I guess we need a lawyer to tell us what our rights are... 
. And can't a simple "assembly outside of work hours" be called an infringement on freedom or something? The way things are going, I'm starting to think we're living in some dystopian novel where protests are only allowed during happy hour.
. And the Village of Broadview is all like "oh, it's for your own safety"... give me a break! 
We're the ones who should be protectin' each other's rights, not restrictin' 'em. I'm hopin' that lawyer, Robert Held, gets his preliminary injunction and we can keep on protestin' without no time clock 
Anyway, I think Robert Held is doing the right thing by pushing for a preliminary injunction. It's like he's saying, "Hey, you can't silence us just because it's not convenient for you!" 
And holding Governor Pritzker accountable isn't a bad idea either – maybe that'll get him to step up and do something meaningful about this issue 
. Can we please just have a more open society where people aren't being restricted by arbitrary time slots? 
. and whats up with governor pritzker not showing up? that's like, totally telling on the gov side 
.
remember when people used to have Sundays off and actually take a break from the daily grind? this whole "9 a.m. to 6 p.m." rule is so restrictive, it's like they're trying to silence us. and what's up with these public officials not showing up to support the protesters? governor JB Pritzker should be there, you know, for the greater good 
. As someone who's lived through a lot of social movements, I can tell you that sometimes you gotta be loud and vocal to get people's attention. And what's even more frustrating is that some folks are saying it's only about "working people" exercising their rights – no way, it's about all of us! We should be able to stand up for what we believe in, whenever we want to 
. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Robert and the protesters outside.