'Rally To Restore Sanity' Chicago Marches On, Despite Snags

Grant Park Rally To Restore Sanity Marches On

Chicago is getting a little taste of Washington, D.C. this weekend. Not only is President Obama coming to town, but a D.C. rally will be simulcast in Grant Park -- as its organizers try to overcome a Washington-style mess of bureaucratic red tape.

Angie McMahon, of Chicago's Chemically Imbalanced Comedy, started off with an innocent Facebook post in support of Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" in the nation's capitol this weekend.

The event snowballed into a satellite rally that McMahon found herself at the helm of, as the Sun-Times wrote in detail earlier this week.

One of the myriad headaches she's faced has been dealing with permits from the city. On Thursday night, the Park District denied her a permit for the rally based on "insufficient documentation."

Still, the District instructed her on how to go forward with the event, and even offered to provide some services, under McMahon and the group's First Amendment right to freedom of assembly.

Reports on Friday morning suggest that she may have finally secured the proper permit from the city; security arrangements were likely altered because Governor Pat Quinn has announced that he'll be speaking at the event.

Either way, the rally is on, and it looks to be packed, with over 3,300 people already confirmed on Facebook.

So, we're sorry that HuffPost didn't provide free buses here like they did in New York, but at least you'll have a chance to catch the simulcast. Check back Saturday for photos and event coverage. Also, please send your pics to chicago@huffingtonpost.com!

What: Rally to Restore Sanity Chicago Satellite

When: Saturday, October 30, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Where: Petrillo Music Shell, Grant Park
235 S Columbus Drive, Chicago

Price: Free!

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot