Three weeks before the Democratic Party is scheduled to hold its national convention in Chicago to name its presidential nominee, a local ordinance has moved forward to levy fines on those who spread hate via fliers.
The Chicago City Council agreed on an ordinance against “hate littering” on Wednesday. The measure, intended to avoid First Amendment challenges, would fine between $500 to $1,000 against those found distributing threatening literature on private property.
Forty-third Ward Alderman Timmy Knudsen introduced the measure in April following leaflets—some coming in baggies with pellets that appeared to be rat poison—strewn in the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
On Jan. 31, the council voted 23-23 on a resolution to advocate for a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson broke the tie in favor of the measure.
At the time, the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest said that “this resolution undermines the position of the Biden administration, the International Court of Justice and the European Union and the overwhelming majority of Americans, who understand that the release of all the hostages held in Gaza and dismantling Hamas’s terrorist infrastructure are preconditions to any ceasefire.”
The ordinance will go into effect on July 27—10 days after its passage—and before the start of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19.
Chicago police identified 302 hate crimes in the city during 2023, a 47% increase from the previous year.