Chicago Will No Longer Enforce Law Barring Church Picketing During Services

Tuesday's Chicago Sun-Times reports that the city of Chicago has stopped enforcing an ordinance (Chicago Municipal Code Sec. 8-4-010(j))  that bans demonstrations or picketing within 150 feet of a place of worship while services are being conducted and for one-half hour before and after services.  The city's law department has concluded that the ordinance is unconstitutional because it discriminates on the basis of subject matter by providing an exception for pickets involved in a labor dispute. The issue arose when, last year, the Church of Scientology, in order to prevent picketing, posted a sign at its headquarters stating that religious services are being held every day from 9:30 am to 10:00 pm. When anti-Scientology protesters were asked by police to leave, lawyer Alex Hageli refused in order to be cited and raise a challenge.  The alternative grounds relied upon by the law department avoids deciding the validity of Scientology's attempt to circumvent the law. Hageli was back last Saturday picketing the Scientology headquarters.