Chicago Police Department's Mexican Grito on Northside

This morning I attended a breakfast celebration for Mexico’s Independence. Just last Tuesday September 15, 2009 a crowd of Mexican celebrants gathered down Lawrence Avenue starting at Kimball Avenue and ending at Pulaski Road. Later that evening CPD squad cars and paddy wagons blocked off Lawrence Avenue between Kimball Avenue and Central Park. CPD police officers threatened to arrest any reveler who walked across the street. At 9:45 p.m. the cops finally made everyone leave saying it was curfew. Curfew means that children under the age of 17 have to be off the Chicago streets by 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. There were many adults out that night and the crowd was gathered on the sidewalk not the streets. This is how we hold honor in Chicago, I guess.