CHICAGO — Activists will speak out against women spending Mother's Day in jail at a Friday protest.
Organizers hope the event will show incarcerated mothers there are people who stand in solidarity with them and are remembering them over the holiday, they wrote on a Facebook page for the event. Participants will hold signs, speak and share poems.
"Thousands of mothers and children are forcibly separated through incarceration each year, making Mother's Day a difficult time for many," organizers wrote on Facebook.
The demonstration is noon-1 p.m. Friday at the Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph St.
Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration, a group that helps those in jail and is trying to end incarceration, will also host a vigil for incarcerated moms and toiletry drive noon-1 p.m. Saturday outside the Cook County Jail, 2700 S. California Ave.
Attendees at the vigil will give flowers to families who are leaving the jail after visits and hear from speakers, among other things. People can donate toiletries that will be given to men and women who are incarcerated.
