You don't have to be paying close attention to know that the Chicago Police Department is under major scrutiny recently for needing necessary reform and starting unprovoked aggression, but Friday night a whole new page was turned in the chapter of the city's actions outside of the norm of protecting and serving. 

The Printer's Ball is a celebration of Chicago important and vital magazine scene.  From the mainstream intellectual to the underground niche, our city's print scene is world renowned and a major part of why Chicago is a cultural juggernaut.  When the who's who of this group gathered at the Zhou Brothers Gallery (Zhou B. Gallery) in Bridgeport it was supposed to be a celebration of accomplishment and connectivity, instead the night turned into a move toward an unpredictable police state. 

As the party peacefully continued into the cool summer night, for no reason police in full riot gear raided the Zhou Gallery (used over the past years as a place for city sanctioned art events) and closed down the party.  Like a scene out of a Sci-Fi Film (or a George Bush fantasy) they cited improper permits and other judicial jargon that was overlooked in city sanctioned events at the gallery. The party was order shut down and the peaceful participants were told to leave. (read attendees statements here and here) The raid comes days after the city proposed a ridiculous amendment to the city's private event rules. This is a troubling development. If police are raiding one of the most respected and well-known city galleries for a very low-key event, where will they strike next? Before you even try and formulate an answer, the raid on the Zhou Center wasn't the only raid on private parties last weekend.  According to sources, over 20 other parties got shut down this weekend. Knowing this I refer our readers back to the ridiculous amendment to the city's private event rules.  Without sounding like some crazed revolutionary, it looks like there is a war brewing on culture and this weekend was the first round of battles.  Whether this a grab for power, a money issue, a masked safety concern or an attempt to control alternative lifestyles, we as a community have to be prepared to stand up.

We plan to put something in motion soon to send off to your alderman, city officials and friends, but in the mean time, pass this along so people are educated about how the city is choking the culture that feeds it.