Lake Shore Drive Protestors v City of Chicago
Lawyers File Class Action On Behalf of Anti-War Protestors
After more than 10,000 anti-war protestors marched on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago on March 20, 2003, police detained and arrested hundreds of demonstrators and bystanders. A lawsuit behalf of over 800 people who were unlawfully held that night has recently been granted class action status.
A lawsuit resulting from the mass detentions and arrests at the anti-war protest in Chicago on March 20, 2003 has recently been granted class status by Judge Virginia Kendall. The significance of this ruling is that a single lawsuit will proceed on behalf of everyone who was detained or arrested that evening on Chicago Avenue, between Michigan Avenue and Mies Van Der Rohe Way. Judge Kendall's decision supports the plaintiffs' assessment that the class includes over 800 people and can be divided into three sub-classes. The three sub-classes include those who were detained on the street for 1 ½ to 3 hours, those who were taken into custody and released without charges, and those who were taken into custody and subsequently charged.
An official notice will be sent out to as many class members as possible in the near future. The National Lawyers Guild attorneys working on the case are attempting to compile a comprehensive list of the names and contact information of all people who fit into these three sub-classes. The police recorded the names of all those they took into custody but the attorneys are also trying to identify as many people as possible who were only detained on the street. So far, they have identified 278 people who were taken into custody and charged, 218 people who were released without charges and 119 who were prevented from leaving the area for a period of time.
The lawsuit is open to anyone that marched on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago on March, 20, 2003 and was detained or arrested.
