Just released by 15th Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez:
In light of the New Years Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and the December attack at the Christmas Market attack in Magdeburg, Germany, Alderman Raymond Lopez (15th) is calling on the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events to require all street fairs and festivals permitted in 2025 to have mobile vehicle barriers instead of the Type III wood/plastic barricades currently used to close off streets.
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| Alderman Raymond Lopez |
“Yesterday America woke up to the carnage in New Orleans that killed fifteen people and injured dozens more,” said Lopez. “In Germany, five people were killed and two hundred injured because a lunatic with a vehicle decided to attack people enjoying outdoor spaces. We must take measures now to prevent Chicago from joining this list.”
Currently, the DCASE Special Event Permit application lists Type III barricades as the standard option for event organizers applying to close off streets for various events. In the New Orleans attack, Type III barricades could be seen as the individual drove around them onto Bourbon Street.
Outdoor dining areas and al fresco locations throughout Chicago often times have concrete barricades or cement/water-filled jersey walls used for added protection. Lopez believes stronger measures like these need to be enacted now to protect attendees while allowing organizing time to factor in the new safety measures.
According to Lopez, “Time is not on our side when it comes to terrorists looking to exploit weaknesses within our planning. We must learn from these events and plan accordingly if we want these hundreds of neighborhood events to continue in the most American of American cities.”
Currently, the DCASE Special Event Permit application lists Type III barricades as the standard option for event organizers applying to close off streets for various events. In the New Orleans attack, Type III barricades could be seen as the individual drove around them onto Bourbon Street.
Outdoor dining areas and al fresco locations throughout Chicago often times have concrete barricades or cement/water-filled jersey walls used for added protection. Lopez believes stronger measures like these need to be enacted now to protect attendees while allowing organizing time to factor in the new safety measures.
According to Lopez, “Time is not on our side when it comes to terrorists looking to exploit weaknesses within our planning. We must learn from these events and plan accordingly if we want these hundreds of neighborhood events to continue in the most American of American cities.”
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