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Peoria council adopts nuisance-gathering ordinance after downtown shooting; members debate First Amendment limits
Summary
Peoria City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to prohibit "nuisance gatherings," giving police authority to order dispersal when specified unlawful acts occur in crowds of 10 or more. Councilors debated free-speech risks and procedural safeguards before passing the measure.
Peoria City Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted an ordinance creating a new offense for "nuisance gatherings," a measure aimed at giving police an additional tool to disperse large, disorderly crowds following an early-morning shooting on Sept. 28.
The ordinance, introduced by Mayor Rita Ali and drafted after review of similar rules in Normal and Springfield, Illinois, authorizes law enforcement to order a crowd of 10 or more people to disperse when at least two specified unlawful acts are occurring among participants. Council members emphasized the measure is intended to address violent or obstructive behavior, not permitted protests.
Mayor Rita Ali framed the ordinance by referencing the Sept. 28 incident downtown, saying officers were impeded while trying to render aid to a shooting victim and that "we cannot allow it to continue." Corporation Counsel Hayes told the council the ordinance is modeled after one adopted in Normal and was drafted to be content neutral and narrowly tailored. Hayes said the dispersal authority would…
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