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NATO summit survival guide

Tips for protesting, joining and avoiding May’s biggest clusterfuck.

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Don�t bet on these buses �Now that we have the specific [Secret Service] perimeters, our operations staff is finalizing the service changes, as some bus routes will be impacted,� says CTA spokesman Brian Steele. Here are some likely candidates: 1 Indiana/Hyde Park; 2 Hyde Park Express; 3 King Drive; 6 Jackson Park Express; 7 Harrison; 10 Museum of Science & Industry; 12 Roosevelt; 21 Cermak; 29 State; 126 Jackson; 128 Soldier Field Express; 129 West Loop/South Loop.
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If you do get arrestedWhen police offer you the proverbial �one phone call� during processing, Gelsomino says, dial the NLG�s emergency response hotline: 312-913-0039. The org will send over an attorney �to pressure law enforcement to move along the processing and to treat the person in custody well.�
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Steer clear of these roadsAt press time, the Secret Service had not released official details of its security perimeter. But ACLU reps, who met on April 24 with Secret Service officials regarding the zone, said the following routes will be closed to traffic while NATO meetings are in session at McCormick Place on May 20 and 21.Around McCormick Place: 21st to 25th Streets; Lake Michigan to Indiana Avenue; east of Lake Shore Drive, the northern boundary is McFetridge Drive.Other closures:� Lake Shore Drive from Roosevelt Road to 31st Street� I-55 from I-94 to Lake Shore Drive
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Don�t NATO hate. Participate.Check out these programs Chicago�s NATO host committee has developed:Athletic Crossroads Sports and Cultural Festival In this basketball and soccer tourney for Chicago youngsters ages 11-13, each team will play under the name of a participating country in the summit. Saturday 12, 8am-4pm. Washington Park (5200 S Cottage Grove Ave, worldsportchicago.org). Free.Chicago�s Culinary Crossroads Seven restaurants around town are offering special tasting menus, crafted with the help of a few renowned international chefs. Participating spots include Bistronomic, Piccolo Sogno, the Gage and Henri. Through May 25. Visit chicagosculinarycrossroads.org for more info.Chicago�s Kids and Kites For this year�s annual festival, NATO is providing 5,000 free kite kits that sport pictures of the world�s flags and facts about the corresponding countries. There�s also a workshop on the tradition of Afghan fighter kites. May 19, 10am-4pm. Montrose Harbor (601 W Montrose Ave). Free.
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Carry IDDuring a community meeting on April 23, South Loop and Prairie District residents near McCormick Place were told by NATO host committee security officials that authorities might ask to see government-issued ID for proof of residence. Workers in the area should keep a business card when going to and from the office.
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Avoid arrest while demonstrating? Assert your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. �You don�t have to speak to police other than giving identifying information, if asked: name, phone number, date of birth, address,� says Sarah Gelsomino, an attorney with the People�s Law Office and the National Lawyers Guild. The NLG is sending more than 100 legal observers in bright green hats to watch for police misconduct during May 20�s big NATO summit protest.? Don�t lie to the police. It�s a crime and gives cops another excuse to jail you.? Never consent to a search. The police can pat down the outside of your clothing to check for weapons, but nothing further without consent. �Don�t open containers or your bag,� Gelsomino advises. �There�s always the possibility that the police could plant something on you or use the search as pretext to hold you longer or arrest you.�? Ask the officer if you are free to go. �If the answer is yes,� Gelsomino says, �consider walking away.�
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Knowledge is powerIf the NATO shit hits the fan, you�ll know right away if you sign up for NotifyChicago (notifychicago.org). The free city service sends you recorded voice, text and/or e-mail alerts on emergency and non-emergency situations, from weather to traffic.
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If you get sprayed with tear gas or pepper gel during a protest�Take your bottle of water and get as much of [the irritant] off of your face as you possibly can,� says Mike Layman, EMS coordinator for Franciscan Saint James Hospital in Chicago Heights, which is drilling emergency teams in preparation for overflow from the NATO protests. �Flush out your eyes, nose, mouth�any open mucus membrane.�
By Maura Brannigan and Jake Malooley |
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