The Democratic National
Convention is being held in Chicago from August 19-22, 2024. In preparation for
the event, the Chicago Police Department and the Secret Service established security protocols for the areas surrounding the convention
facilities. The City of Chicago also enacted an ordinance prohibiting items
such as laptops, drones, pointed objects, and weapons inside the perimeters.
In Thayer v. City of Chicago, individuals who planned to protest at the DNC challenged the ordinance as unconstitutionally vague. Specifically, they
challenged the prohibition of “pointed objects,” arguing that this ban raised a question whether protesters could bring ballpoint pens or wear buttons secured with safety pins into the
protected area.
The Illinois Appellate Court denied
the protesters’ request to temporarily suspend the safety ordinance and found that it was not
unconstitutionally vague. While the ordinance does not provide a complete list
of objects that are permitted or banned, the Appellate Court held that the ordinance has a core
ascertainable meaning that was aimed at keeping people safe.
Post Authored by Alexis Carter & Julie Tappendorf, Ancel Glink
