URGENT BULLETIN--Immigration Vigil Saturday to Move as Minuteman Group Vows Protest
CRYSTAL LAKE POLICE were informed late Thursday that the MINUTEMAN MIDWEST, a separate organization from the ILLINOIS MINUTEMAN PROJECT, indicated that they would counter-demonstrate near any vigil conducted by the McHENRY COUNTY PEACE GROUP, LATINO COALITION and the CAPRPENTERSVILLE COMMUNITY ALLIANCE..
Concerned with safety and security, police requested that the vigil, planed for the corner of Rt. 14 and Main Street in Crystal Lake, be moved to McCORMICK PARK on Rt. 14 between McHenry and Dole Avenues so that the contending demonstrations could be safely separated. The request was made to CARLOS ACOSTA of the Latino Coalition, who was the main contact person to the police from the allied groups.
“In the interest of public safety and to preserve the free speech and assembly rights of all concerned, the McHenry County Peace Group and allied organization have agreed to move the vigil,” according to Peace Group press spokesperson PATRICK MURFIN.
The vigil will now be conducted at McCormick Park from 1 to 2:30 p.m. this Saturday.
Murfin pledged that participants in the vigil will be “strong advocates for respect, justice, diversity and a rational discussion of immigration issues. We will also be peaceful and respectful.”
The vigil had already been moved once, to the busy Rt. 14 and Main Street intersection, after a planned meeting of the Illinois Minuteman Project at the HOLIDAY INN CRYSTAL LAKE was cancelled by the hotel for security reasons