By Sarah Roebuck
SA国际传媒
CHICAGO 鈥� The mayor of Chicago has denied a permit that would have allowed firefighters and paramedics to hold a two-hour march during day two of the Democratic National Convention,.
The firefighters and paramedics were planning to protest to bring attention to their three-year fight for a new contract that would include adding 20 ambulances, according to the report.
鈥淭hey said it was too close to the United Center, but it鈥檚 not. That鈥檚 B.S. They have a perimeter and it鈥檚 outside the perimeter,鈥� Pat Cleary, president of the Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Cleary said the plan is to march between Loomis Street and Ashland Avenue, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 20.
A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Transportation said the city supports the right to exercise the 鈥淔irst Amendment right to protest鈥� during the DNC, and that demonstrators can do so 鈥渨ithin sight and sound of the United Center.鈥�
Cleary said he is going to apply for a second permit for a march along a two-block stretch of Madison Street that crosses the Kennedy Expressway.
The march will also feature Chicago police officers angered by Mayor Brandon Johnson convincing the City Council to reject an independent arbitrator鈥檚 ruling on police discipline hearings twice, according to the report.. A similar protest took place during the recent NASCAR race on the lakefront.
The DNC workload highlights the union鈥檚 demand for 20 additional ambulances and more paramedics to staff them, aiming to alleviate the intense workload on current paramedics, Cleary said.