A controversial supporter at the Chicago Cultural Center is a city council debate on Tuesday or is a fair expression of a free speech. To call another Elderman a “white domination”.
Elded. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, who was criticized for speaking at a protest rally last year, where an American flag was burnt, later on Tuesday claimed that he said “it is white dominated” In the direction of. Bill Conway, 34th, and individually did not direct his comments to Conway. A committee meeting was commented during a meeting, it was temporarily admitted nor Elderman returned. The chairman of the committee said that he asked Sigcho-Lopez not to return.
The argument reduced a four -hour debate about puppet performance, with uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s blood -soaked caricature with a two -sided “protest puppet”. Writing on wooden bases holding puppets criticizes US financial assistance for Israeli war efforts in Gaza and labeled characters as “children’s killers” and “killers”.
Most of the city council, 28 Aldermen signed a letter last month, condemning the puppet performance as an antisemic “abusive language”. But during the No-Vot hearing, some Aldermen criticized the attack on independent speech and condemnation as a waste of time.
“The last time I investigated, in America, we must be free to express ourselves,” said Ald. William Hall, 6th.
Conway suppressed the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Program Commissioner Clini Headspath about the artwork before sigcho-lope and both Alderman started a warm back, during which Sigcho-Lopez said that CONway said Headspath. Had insulted
Conway, which represents the loop, Greektown and parts of Little Italy, referred to burning the American flag in the first debate. Sigcho-Lopez, who represents Pilsen and parts of Little village, appeared in a Palestinian rally in front of a burnt American flag. The flag incident last year gave Sigcho-Lopez a place as the head of the council’s housing committee, but Alderman finally voted for not punishing them. Sigcho-Lopez said that he had not seen the burnt flag and was not in the rally when an experienced when an experienced tortured it to protest against the federal government of Israeli war in Gaza.
Chairman of the Special Program Committee, many shout from Aldermen to remove Sigco-Lopez. The 38th, Nicholas Sposato said, “You must be out from here!”
“This is a joke!” Sigcho-Lopez replied.
“You can’t call anyone a white domination here,” Sposato said. “We are not going to do this. We are not going to stand for him … You disrespect a colleague. You have to go, out, get out of here! ,
Sposato later said that he “threw him out (Sigco-Lopez).” The committee did not take official votes to Bar Sigcho-Lopez from the meeting.
Sigko-Lopez and Conway, after the exchange, spoke privately in a closet behind the Council Chambers. Later, Sigco-Lopez told reporters that the comments were not directed on the conway. Conway later said that Sigco-Lopez apologized and said that he had “no desire to increase it.”
The hall, which was in a closet room with Jason Lee, consultant of Sigco-Lopez, Conway and Top Johnson, said the group prayed during his personal discussion. He said that Sigco-Lopez had said that he felt targeted about the burn flag of Conway.
“Two mistakes do not make a right,” the hall said. “We need to go to a place where we may disagree and cannot disrespect.”
The ugly exchange set a tone for another horrific debate in the city council on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, when Johnson tied Chicago a tie to make Chicago the largest American city to call Chicago for the Gaza ceasefire. -Breaking vote.
Headspath said the puppet installation was designed by a panel of art experts, designed to exclude prejudices from the root. After hearing the complaints last month, the commissioner removed a panel by naming a “US-Israel War Machine” and warned sensitivity outside the performance, he said.
But Headspath strongly defended the decision to leave the puppet performance despite the pressure. He described the call to “bully” and “silent” artists to be removed from “small groups” as “threatening” and “silence” efforts. It will be “anti-american” that would have to unilaterally remove the piece for anyone, he told Elderman. He said that other aggressive subjects, such as lynching, depicted the artwork displayed in the building.
One of many sharp disagreements during the hearing, Ald. Debra Silverstein, the Jewish member of the council, asked Headspath how she would react if someone tried to establish a puppet reflecting Johnson’s blood -rich Caricature, so that her decision to remove the shotspoter gunshot detection system was criticized. Could Headspath said that she would follow with the same veating process.
“I will trust the team and experts,” he replied.
Silverstein reiterated his demand that the artwork be taken down. He argued that there is a difference between creating a controversial piece of art and displaying one with the taxpayer’s money.
“It is not just an art exhibition. It is a statement made in a publicly funded, city -run space, which is a place to welcome tourism and represent the value of Chicago, ”Silverstein said. “I must be very clear: this is not the first amendment issue.”
Alderman hit a more collegium tone, when the meeting continued after the holiday, with several thanks to explain the Headspath how to get the art vetted and what is the department’s removal process. As per the plan, the committee did not vote on any ordinance only during the hearing of the subject matter.