The Skokie Village Council approved Friday the permit sought by Chicago’s tiny National Socialist Party to stage a march June 25 in suburban Skokie, home of 7000 Holocaust survivors. But the Council also announced it would file a request before the United States Supreme Court for a stay on the march, the Jewish United Fund of Chicago reported today.
A JUF spokesman said that attorneys for the Skokie Village Council were still working on legal papers for submission to the Supreme Court for an appeal from a ruling by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago which held that the village could not ban the march. The Skokie officials plan to ask for a stay on the march pending a ruling by the Supreme Court on their appeal from the Circuit Court ruling.
The Circuit Court cleared the way for the march by declaring unconstitutional three ordinances adopted by the village on May 2, 1977, a day after the Nazis announced plans to stage a march in Skokie.
The ordinances require applicants for marches to post $350,000 in public liability and property damage insurance. Another bans demonstrations by political party members wearing military-style uniforms. The third bans distribution of material that incites hatred against persons because of their race, religion or national origin. The Nazis have been represented in the court actions by the American Civil Liberties Union.
ACTUAL MARCH DOUBTFUL
Whether the march will take place on June 25 or any other time in the near future remained uncertain, despite approval of the permit. Frank Collin, head of the Nazi group, has said repeatedly, in media statements, that his Nazis would not march until all court challenges have been settled.
Aside from the appeal to the Supreme Court planned by Skokie Village, there are a number of other prospective court actions being planned. Sol Goldstein, chairman of the committee on individual liberty and Jewish security of the Public Affairs Committee of the JUF, filed with the Illinois Supreme Court a request for a ban on the proposed march on grounds it would cause “grave physical and emotional stress” for him and the other Skokie survivors.
The State Supreme Court has twice declined to hear Goldstein’s request and he plans to take an appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. He expects to file within the next week, the JUF spokesman said.
Still another probable source of litigation is legislation approved by the Illinois Senate and awaiting expected favorable action in the House. The legislation has been developed to circumvent court rulings permitting the June 25 march.
One bill forbids parades by quasi-military hate groups and distribution of defamatory hate literature in such parades. A second bill would permit local officials throughout Illinois to obtain injunctions to bar distribution of defamatory material. Assuming passage by the House and approved by Gov. James Thompson, the legislation is believed certain to face court challenges on constitutionality.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
