Broadview mayor limits protest hours at ICE facility after clashes

BROADVIEW, Ill. - The mayor of Broadview is setting new limits on when demonstrators can protest outside the west suburban ICE processing center, following weeks of tense confrontations between activists and federal agents.

What we know:

Mayor Katrina Thompson announced Monday that demonstrations at and near the ICE facility on Beach Street will be restricted to between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, effective immediately.

Thompson said the move comes after repeated safety issues at the protest site.

"For example, on Saturday night, October 5, around 8:00 p.m. Broadview had a very aggressive crowd of protesters and the situation got out of control," she said. "All of 25th Ave was closed, and protesters even attempted to take over Interstate 290 as well. We had over 60 state troopers helping and we had to seek additional assistance from other local police departments who rushed to Broadview to help. And Broadview residents had to suffer through that mayhem."

The mayor said she supports the right to protest but has a duty to protect her community.

"I have repeatedly said that I intend to defend the protesters’ constitutionally protected free speech rights. I support their cause. But the repeated clashes with ICE agents in our town are causing enormous disruptions in the quality of life for my residents whose rights I have taken an oath to protect," Thompson said. "We live here. Our residents live here and deserve dignity and respect."

The mayor said the order could be removed if it is no longer needed to protect residents' health and safety.

The other side:

The Coalition Against Broadview ICE Facility responded to the set hours limiting protest.

"…we heavily disagree with this new ordinance and it secretly silences our voices to be heard. This executive order by the Mayor is a win for the Trump administration who rejects our presence as activist protesting for Human Rights.

"This ordinace is designed to disssemble our movement, to reduce participation in where passionate activist that comes to this space to exercise their constituational right of "freedom of speech".  Activist from around state come here to denounce the inhumane practices that the Broadview ICE Detention Center is doing towards immigrants.  Even further, we find it very spiteful and without coincidence that the set time in the ordinance to have our protest in the morning instead of the evening.  The Mayor knows very well that activist arrive more in the evening.  Most of our activist members have day jobs and want to exercise their rights to protest in the evening. The Mayor has chosen to be the stumblingblock for our protestors to make protesting in the evening a non-option.

"It would have been appreciative of the Mayor to ask for dialog with us to perhaps reach a compromise before this execetive order was put in place.  That was a missed opportunity.  The Mayor makes claims publicly to she respects our humanitarian effort but her actions hinders our push for justice and equality.

"…we are weighing our options legally if further action is necessary in our judical system to ensure our protest can continue as normal without any interference."