Chicago, Ill., Jun 27, 2018 / 14:16 pm
The social advocate and Chicago priest Father Michael Pfleger has invited anti-violence activists to protest gun violence by closing a portion of the Dan Ryan Expressway, where it is part of I-94.
As many as 1,000 people could join Father Pfleger July 7. Beginning at the entrance ramp on 79th Street, the protestors will march about mile and a half until the exit ramp off 67th Street, shutting down the highway's northbound lanes.
Father Pfleger is the pastor of St Sabina Catholic Church, a parish which has hosted similar protests in the past. On Monday, he posted on Twitter and Facebook encouraging people to participate in the rally. The march will follow a few days after U.S. Independence Day, which sees annual spike in shootings in Chicago.
"As we celebrate Independence weekend, there's not a sense of freedom in many of our communities and for many of our young people," Father Pfleger told the Chicago Tribune. "Instead, there's a sense of fear."