In the wake of disturbing revelations last week about local police spying on peace and justice groups, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said Wednesday he supported the decision to deny a permit to peace activists for a March 20 anti-war march. But protesters say they can legally march on the sidewalk -- and will do so on March 20, beginning at Michigan Ave. and Pearson -- to mark the one-year anniversary of the Iraq war. The date has been declared a global day of action against war and occupation, and major demonstrations are expected to go off in cities throughout the United States and abroad. [ Global Day of Action: 1 | 2 | 3 ]

Last year, police arrested more than 700 activists near Michigan and Pearson during an emergency protest against the beginning of full-scale war on Iraq. [ March 20, 2003 CIMC Coverage ] When asked by the Chicago Tribune if protesters would be arrested this year, Daley told a Chicago Tribune reporter, "We hope not. For what purpose?"

"If the City wants to disrupt traffic for hours longer than it has to by forcing us to march on the sidewalk, that's fine by us," says local activist Daniel Romero, who was arrested last March 20 and will be marching this year down Michigan Ave.

"We've made a good faith effort to work this out with the city, and they've so far declined to be reasonable," says Romero. "We hope they'll rethink their position, but we're marching regardless. At a time when legitimate public protest is increasingly under attack, it's our right and our responsibility to deliver our message as broadly as we can, along a public corridor where our actions will be visible -- not down some Saturday dead zone like Clark St. or LaSalle St. We've seen this pattern of repression and resistance to public protest in cities across the country, from Denver and San Francisco to Boston, New York and Washington, DC. We have a moral obligation to challenge this growing attack on our basic freedoms. Michigan Avenue offers us the opportunity to marry the issue of our opposition to the war with our right to dissent. And if the police want to know what we're up to, they don't have to spy on us. They can just ask." Read more.

Organizing Resources: March 20 protest announcement | Next Meeting