Next week former President Barack Obama’s eponymous foundation is hosting a summit meeting to promote its planned Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park. The modern version of the Burnham Brigade is planning to tie new ribbons on more than 400 trees that the Obama Center has earmarked to be sacrificed to enable construction of the proposed Obama Center and its 22-story, 235-foot-high tower in the park. Protesters will gather this Saturday at Jackson Park’s running track, located at 6100 South Stony. Protect our Parks member Ross Petersen wrote in a recent letter to the Chicago Sun-Times: “Numerous other locations could accommodate the Obama Presidential Center. He adds: “This is a peaceful protest, and we want the public to see the impact the [Obama Presidential Center] will have on our park.”Mr. Petersen also notes that unlike the situation that inspired protests in the 1960s, the Obama tree removals have not yet been scheduled.

Source: Wall Street Journal October 21, 2019 21:11 UTC