City of Chicago Pulls Permit for Nurses Rally After Event Adds Tom Morello Performance

The city of Chicago has forced the relocation of a National Nurses United rally planned for May 18th after the event added a performance by Tom Morello, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The demonstration, scheduled during the NATO summit, was approved months ago for a march that would end at the city's Daley Plaza – but in a letter to event organizers, city officials said the rally would need to be moved to the less-centrally located Petrillo Music Shell, "to accommodate changes to your event, including a performance by a nationally known musician and a significantly increased number of expected attendees."

Morello is undeterred by the decision and intends to perform anyway. "Chicago is my hometown and the mayor is making me feel mighty unwelcome," the guitarist told Rolling Stone. "I don't care what they say or do, I'm coming to rock out and speak my mind. We won't be silenced and we won't be stopped. If Rahm Emanuel is so afraid of my popularity in Chicago maybe I should run against him in the next election. See you in the streets."

National Nurses United said it has begun working with the American Civil Liberties Union on a challenge to the city's decision.

"They’re trying to marginalize the effect of the nurses," said the organization's executive director RoseAnn DeMoro, who noted that the purpose of the demonstration was to support a transaction tax on Wall Street deals.