New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann holds an inclusive and politically neutral view about a Women’s March planned for Jan. 19 at the New Lenox Commons.
“My job is to uphold the Constitution and the law,” Baldermann said Thursday. “We have passionate and engaged people in the area.”
Baldermann shared his thoughts about the event in a social media post last week. He had fielded questions about why the village would allow the event to take place in the community, he wrote.
“The First Amendment allows for the freedom to assemble, and I support the Constitution,” he wrote.
The New Lenox event might draw participants from a wide area because no such large-scale rally is planned for downtown Chicago this January. The first Women’s March the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017 drew hundreds of thousands of participants in Chicago and millions at similar events worldwide.
Organizers of the New Lenox event said during a conference call Thursday afternoon they are not affiliated with the Chicago group. There will be a march and remarks from various speakers at the New Lenox event, said Emily Biegel, a director with Southwest Suburban Activists.
“The event is open to anybody,” Biegel said.
A coalition of groups organizing the event consists of Southwest Suburban Activists, Action for a Better Tomorrow, Arab American Family Services, Indivisible Illinois, Indivisible South Suburban Chicago and Moms Demand Action.
“This is the first Women’s March that Southwest Suburban Activists are having in New Lenox,” said Jennifer Kmitch, a director with the group. “We see a gap in the area for people who want to participate in a Women’s March.”
Danielle Nolen-Ragland, an administrator with Action for a Better Tomorrow, said she expects a number of people from the Homewood-Flossmoor area to attend. People of color, people with disabilities and people representing the LGBT community will participate, she said.
“This is for everyone,” she said. “There is solidarity in the south and southwest suburbs. When we come together, we come together strong.”
Organizers said the event’s themes are unity and inclusiveness.
“We’re coming together harmoniously to organize for a common cause,” said Chakena Sims, a board member of the organization Chicago Votes who also worked on the campaign to elect J.B. Pritzker governor. “We want to set up young people for a prosperous future.”
A large turnout would show that there is strength in numbers, said Itedal Shalabi, co-founder and executive director of Arab American Family Services.
“We’re stronger when we stand together,” she said. “There’s power in us working together.”
The Jan. 19 event is planned for a site that drew an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people to a Tea Party rally in 2009. Will County Board member Stephen J. Balich, R-Homer Glen, who helped organize that event, said traffic on Interstate 80 came to a standstill because of the number of people trying to get to New Lenox.
“We had big events at the American Legion in Lockport and the (St. John) Serbian (Orthodox) Church in Homer Glen,” Balich said. “The people (who attended Tea Party rallies) didn’t go away, they just stopped going to rallies.”
New Lenox is accustomed to handling large crowds at Commons Park. For several years, the village has sponsored a “Triple Play” summer concert series. Melissa Etheridge, Chris Isaak and Bruce Hornsby performed in 2018.
“We have a great town hall gathering place,” Baldermann said. “I don’t know if it’s great in the middle of January for a rally.”
A policy published on the village website regarding community use of public facilities describes Commons Park as a 6-acre area featuring an open-air amphitheater that can accommodate 2,000 visitors.
“Use of the … Pavilion does not constitute village endorsement of viewpoints or philosophies expressed by participants in the programs,” according to the policy.
Weather and other variables may affect attendance.
“Whatever it is, I’m sure we can handle it,” Baldermann said.
Southwest Suburban Activists was founded in 2017 and has grown to more than 600 members, according to its website. The group has held several marches and has “mobilized to hold Palos Township Trustee Sharon Brannigan accountable for anti-Muslim statements,” the group says.
Organizers met Thursday afternoon with village representatives to discuss plans for the event.
“Their permit has not been approved yet,” Baldermann said Thursday morning.
The village will negotiate a permit fee with organizers, Baldermann said. The village can recoup some of the costs of providing police protection, garbage pickup and portable toilets, if needed, he said.
Courts have found that municipalities may not charge excessive permit fees for public demonstrations, he said.
“The group will have to incur some of those expenses,” Baldermann said.
The village policy states the rental fee for the pavilion may vary from $150 for an event for 25 people to $500 for an event drawing more than 100 people. Use of a sound system is an additional $100 per hour, according to the policy, and pavilion rental requires a refundable security and maintenance deposit of $1,000.
Organizers are raising funds to cover expenses, Biegel said.
The Women’s March is planned for noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 19 at New Lenox Commons, 1 Veterans Parkway.
Baldermann said he wishes people would be more respectful toward each other when expressing their views.
“I think we all need to stop talking so much and listen a little more,” Baldermann said Thursday. “We may not always agree, but there should be more civil dialogue on both sides.”
