Lightfoot's Lollapalooza reigns for another 10 years

This should anger us. [READER]( The Daily Reader Over the weekend, as thousands of people poured into Grant Park for Lollapalooza, I was once again reminded of [who’s allowed to enjoy our public parks and who isn’t](. As the four-day annual music festival kicked off on Thursday, dozens of youth activists held a protest outside its gates to call attention to the new 10 PM curfew for unaccompanied minors—a curfew that doesn’t apply to the predominantly white and wealthy suburbanite festival-goers. In a letter to the city, GoodKids MadCity (GKMC) and Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC) said the curfew violates the constitutional rights of teenagers and encourages police violence against young people. On Sunday, Mayor Lightfoot took the stage at Lollapalooza to announce the festival will remain in Grant Park for another ten years, and possibly more. This should anger us. During a summer when Chicagoans are (finally) feeling somewhat comfortable and excited to be outside after two raging years of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s cruel for the city to prohibit our Black and Brown youth from doing the same. It’s notable that our public spaces are only kept open and well maintained for a select few. It’s not unique to Grant Park, either. On the west side, Douglass Park is closed to the community for a quarter of the summer to make way for three private music festivals. Soccer leagues, family parties, and food vendors are forced to move elsewhere. When the festivals leave, damaged fields and broken promises of improvements remain. Our public spaces are deteriorating while being sold for profit. Meanwhile our youth are being criminalized for enjoying what’s left of their space. GKMC and BPNC have threatened to file a federal lawsuit to block the curfew if city officials do not meet with them. The city has yet to respond. Thanks for reading. Kelly Garcia staff writer [A promise worth keeping]( Youth soccer coach Ernie Alvarez recounts his days in Douglass Park. by [Kelly Garcia]( [Leer en español]( [The LatiNxt festival serves up cutting-edge grooves with a generous side of roots]( by [Catalina Maria Johnson]( [Mexico City transplant Fernando de Buen López leads Chicago band Así Así in their album debut]( Plus: Liar’s Club hosts a stacked benefit show for the Chicago Abortion Fund, and whimsical synth-rockers 8-Bit Creeps drop their first full-length. by [J.R. Nelson]( and [Leor Galil]( [Issue of July 21 - August 3, 2022 Vol. 51, No.]( [Download Issue]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2022 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616