15,000 Surround Capitol in Springfield
Fred Klonsky photo
City prepares for massive Statehouse rally
About 15,000 people from across Illinois are expected to descend on downtown Springfield Wednesday in what’s being billed as one of the largest demonstrations ever at the Capitol.
The city will close several streets, or reduce lanes, to accommodate the crowd. Streets should reopen by 4 p.m. Extra Capitol police will be on hand if needed.
State employees have been told it will be “virtually impossible” to leave the Capitol complex by car between noon and 1:30 p.m.
The secretary of state’s office also is urging Springfield residents to use offices on Dirksen Parkway or Klein Street for driver services instead of going to the Howlett Building.
The “Save Our State” rally and march, scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m., is sponsored by the Responsible Budget Coalition, which includes 200 organizations from across the state.
More than 250 buses are expected to bring thousands of people to Springfield to participate in the rally from across Illinois.
“We tried to make it as big and as large as possible to get people’s attention,” said John Bouman, president of the Shriver Center in Chicago, which is part of the Responsible Budget Coalition.
Protesters want legislators to pass a responsible budget, which Bouman said must include “significant new revenue.”
“It’s also to try to impress on legislators it’s not acceptable to do a half measure and go home and wait until after the (Nov. 2) election, that this thing has to be fixed. It has to be solved now,” he said, referring to the state’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit, which is delaying payments to schools, social service agencies and other organizations that get funding from the state.