Federal judge refuses to grant changes to DNC protest route requested by pro-Palestinian organizers

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Leaders for the Coalition to March on the DNC said Tuesday they will appeal U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood's decision to deny their request for a preliminary injunction.

Wood's decision kept the alternative parade route that the city proposed a few weeks ago as the final version for protesters to use on Monday. In her decision, the judge said the plaintiffs' arguments fell well short of proving a First Amendment violation.

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As the Democratic National Convention gets underway on Monday, tens of thousands of protesters are expected to converge on Union Park. From there, they will begin their march towards the vicinity of the United Center, where they will be able to protest within "sight and sound" of the delegates and officials inside at yet another park: Park 578, which is located at Maypole and Walcott.

The legal dispute between the city and protest groups has surrounded how demonstrators would get from one park to another and how long the route would be.

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Protesters sought to remain on Washington Boulevard and continue further west to double the length of the proposed route.

The city argued that because Washington Boulevard becomes part of the Secret Service's secure perimeter as it nears the United Center, that request could not be accommodated. Instead, they proposed a 1.4-mile route that will take protesters as far west as Damen Avenue before returning to Union Park via Lake Street.

Wood affirmed the city's proposed route in a legal decision published Monday night. She denied protesters' request to lengthen the route, saying, in part, "The Court finds that the need to maintain an accessible route to and from the United Center in case of emergency constitutes a separate significant governmental interest."

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Those leading the Coalition to March on the DNC, however, are not accepting that decision. They spoke out after a follow-up court hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

"We are not giving up. We are going to appeal. We are six days away. We are going to have an emergency appeal," said Hatem Abudayyeh with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.

Organizers would not say whether they would or would not abide by the city's established protest route if their appeal fails.

Meanwhile, demonstrators are also still waiting on the city to either approve or deny their permits to rally at both Union Park and Park 578 not just on Monday, which is the main day for all groups to protest, but on Thursday, which is the last day of the convention.

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