A weekend of downtown revelry tied to Mexican Independence Day turned into a nightmare for downtown residents
Downtown Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said his inbox was flooded with emails from angry residents. Social media and websites like “Next Door” filled up with complaints from residents who followed all ground rules outlined by Chicago police, but still couldn’t reach their homes in Streeterville, River North or in the Loop.
After last year’s gridlock, the city promised to do a better job of “screening downtown residents and medical employees trying to get to their jobs at Northwestern and Lurie Children’s Hospital” and to make it easier for those people to “get through the roadblocks and checkpoints,” Hopkins said.
But it didn’t happen. One resident, turned away from a checkpoint on their way home, said they slept in their car.
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) has not commented on the celebrations and police management of the crowds.
