(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A new ordinance passed by the Chicago City Council will prohibit sound amplification for demonstrators around the Family Planning Associates facility on West Washington street.
There have been complaints about loud anti abortion protests, but North Side Alderman Jim Gardiner (45th) downplayed them, saying he saw for himself.
“What we saw, sure enough, were Christians speaking scripture from the Bible. And there was an amplifier to be fair. Ironically, the same type of amplifier that my office uses for public meetings.”
However, Alderwoman Maria Hadden (49th) said the council should listen to the women who work there
“When volunteers and staff at a clinic or a hospital are coming and saying, ‘People on a regular basis putting amplifiers next to walls and inside our clinic. I can't hear myself talk to a patient.’
Well, we should do something about that.”
Alderman Bill Conway (34th) introduced the ordinance last fall.
“This isn't free speech. It's harassment, and it stops today. I'm grateful to our partners and colleagues for their support," he said in a released statement.
His officer reports that they and the Chicago Police Department receive complaints about the noise.
The vote was 41 to 4 who approved the zone.
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