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| A Chicago police car is turned into a review stand at the 2013 Chicago Pride Parade. (Video HERE.) The real trouble, which culminated in near-riot conditions, came hours after the parade’s conclusion. |
There are just three CAPS meetings remaining before Pride Week. Even with the freezing weather, it may be worth making the trek to Wednesday’s CAPS meeting to ask what steps the city has taken to ensure that this year’s celebration goes smoothly and that we avoid another disaster like the near-riot conditions that spread in the hours after last year’s parade.
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| Police work to tamp down violence at Belmont and Sheffield hours after the 2013 Pride Parade. |
Another valid question: What steps have been taken to improve the mobility of medical personnel during the parade?
If you aren’t familiar with what happened during and after last year’s event, some recommended stories are linked below. Last year’s first annual Pride Fest weekend was marred by multiple stabbings in the neighborhood — none was within the Fest grounds.
The 19th district police commander, Elias Voulgaris, who personally oversaw police efforts to contain last year’s mayhem, said last July that checkpoints should be set up to screen the crowd “if we’re going to have a parade” in 2014. Yes, he said if.
Of course, there will be a parade and Pride Fest. We’re happy about that. The question is, what steps are being taken to ensure that there is not a repeat of last year’s trouble?
The March CAPS meeting for beats 1923, 1924, and 1925 (purple on the map) will be this Wednesday at 7pm inside the 19th district police station on Addison.
Beat 1933 (blue on the map) will meet on Tuesday, March 11, at 6:30pm inside Illinois Masonic Medical Center, 836 W. Wellington.
Beats 1934 and 1935 (green on the map) meets at 7pm on Thursday, March 20th, at the Inn of Lincoln Park, 601 W. Diversey.
RELATED STORIES – Pride Fest Weekend
STABBING, WILDING AT BELMONT L: 3rd & 4th Stabbings of the Weekend
PRIDE FIST: More Of “The Usual”
RELATED STORIES – Pride Parade
BELMONT BLOWUP: Commander Calls For Support
PRIDE PREPAREDNESS: Medical Units In Short Supply
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS: 60+ Batteries Reported in Pride Parade Area
BIG GAY BLOTTER: Dancing on A Cop Car; Urine Tossed
HELLO WISCONSIN!: 8 Cheeseheads Busted in Broadway Robbery
PRIDE NIGHT: Crime Wrap Up
LOW BALLING: Pride, Market Days Organizers Back Away From Huge Crowd Estimates
VIDEO: Pride Party On A Police Car
INBOX: Cops Fearing Riots Force Bars To Close Early
PRIDE PHOTOS: Belmont & Sheffield “After Party”
HANGOVER: City Data Details Pride Sunday Crime
