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Chicago Code Blue Cancels Rally Planned for Morgan Park Police Station

By Howard Ludwig | March 3, 2016 11:48am | Updated on March 3, 2016 2:43pm
 A pro-police rally planned for Saturday at the Morgan Park Police District has been cancelled. Organizers said concerns from Cmdr. Mark Harmon prompted them to call off the event.
A pro-police rally planned for Saturday at the Morgan Park Police District has been cancelled. Organizers said concerns from Cmdr. Mark Harmon prompted them to call off the event.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

MORGAN PARK — The organizer of a pro-police rally in Morgan Park maintained he had the best intentions in planning the event, even though he decided on Thursday to call it off.

Gary Snow is the man behind Chicago Code Blue, an organization that defines itself as a "non-profit coalition of law enforcement supporters." A rally had been planned for nearly a month outside of the Morgan Park Police District station, he said.

But the event that was set for Saturday at 1900 W. Monterey Ave. was canceled after Chicago Police Cmdr. Mark Harmon expressed concerns. He worried that the gathering could draw a counter protest, which could lead to confrontation.

He also said the rally suffered from poor timing, as his officers were preparing for the South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 13. Harmon further maintained that his district already enjoyed the highest satisfaction rating throughout the city and that such support might be more needed elsewhere.

"While we always appreciate support, we would prefer not to have a rally," Harmon said.

Snow said he'll consider rescheduling but he's also heard this same thing before. He said he worked with organizers of a pro-police rally planned for Dec. 12 in Bridgeport, too. That event was called off for similar reasons, Snow said.

"They all say, 'We appreciate it and thank you. But we really don't want to cause any more problems,'" Snow said.

His group also made headlines last month when it was denied entry into the downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Parade organizers argued that there wasn’t enough time to properly vet Chicago Code Blue, and Snow later told CBS2 the rejection was a "a slap in the face."

He said participation in the parade as well as the pro-police rallies were never meant to cause any problems. And both of the rallies were canceled after police requests to do so.

But Snow believes the bigger problem facing police officers is the constant stream of criticism without anyone voicing support.

"The majority of Chicago Police officers, they need to hear a 'Thank you' from the citizens," said Snow, adding he is not at all affiliated with the Chicago Police Department.

In this same spirit, Snow said he regularly attends anti-police demonstrations. He sometimes stands carrying an American flag above a thin blue line flag. To the dismay of protesters, Snow will occasionally play loud recordings of bagpipe music as well.

Other times, Snow said he simply records protesters assaulting police officers assigned to monitor the rallies. While there, he also passes out business cards to officers informing them Code Blue's support for police.

"If you see people spitting on police officers, you should be able to stand up and say something," said Snow, a resident of the south suburbs.

But Code Blue's Facebook page branches beyond footage of anti-police rallies and messages of support for officers. One posts includes a question about whether Chicago Police officers ought to boycott an upcoming Beyonce concert because of Black Panther references in her Super Bowl halftime show. Others show activists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement burning an American flag and later attending a rally for Bernie Sanders. Another post endorses Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Snow took responsibility for all of these posts Thursday and said they reflect his own thoughts, feelings and personal politics — despite appearing under the banner of Chicago Code Blue. He added that the Facebook page isn't reflective of an actual group, but more of a pro-police movement.

It's within that movement that Snow hopes to show others that crime in Chicago is being overshadowed by anti-police sentiment. He also believes that crime throughout the city is being allowed to fester as a result of the added scrutiny towards law enforcement.

"It's not the police going out there killing young, black men. It's the gang members out there killing young, black men," he said.

Snow said criminals know police are being hamstrung by tougher regulation and are taking advantage. He also believes this is leading to more guns on the streets and the latest surge in Chicago killings. The city is on pace to reach 700 murders in 2016.

Despite the latest setback, Snow hopes news of the canceled rally raises awareness of the issues facing law enforcement. A native of suburban Oak Lawn, Snow wants to hold rallies in the future and hopes police welcome the support.

"I am not out here to cause any problems with the police," Snow said.

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