The Palestinian community in Chicago, Illinois, succeeded in defeating extremist right-wing and pro-Israel candidate, Sharon Brannigan, in the local election, news agencies reported yesterday.
According to news agencies, the Palestinian community mobilized other Arab communities and supporters of the Palestinian cause to take part in a campaign to ensure Brannigan does not win in the Palos Township Council of Chicago election race.
A great crowd forming for the first Palos township meeting in a year, calling to #ResignBrannigan & saying NO to white supremacy! Sharon Brannigan, a Palos township trustee member, has faced zero accountability for the racist comments she’s made about Arab & Muslim communities. pic.twitter.com/MV1HAxZnx2
— US Palestinian Community Network (@uspcn) March 16, 2021
Brannigan is said to have carried out “many bigoted attacks on Arab Americans and other neighbors.”
Palestinians, Arabs, and their supporters participated in the campaign against Brannigan using the hashtag #ByeBrannigan.
Brannigan and the town’s board attempted to silence the community but they consistently failed, even after they hired a security company to bully protesters and call the Palos Hills police, leading to the arrests of five leaders of the movement, Fight Back news website reported.
USPCN is reposting this statement from the #ByeBrannigan Campaign.
Our Chicago chapter played a leading role in the #ResignBrannigan fight, and congratulates #ByeBrannigan on this great victory.
Read full statement: https://t.co/kWssq1Uj6N pic.twitter.com/ZAhIzjr6r3
— US Palestinian Community Network (@uspcn) April 8, 2021
Protesters were vindicated, however, when the judge deemed Brannigan’s testimony “contradictory”, dismissed the case, and “essentially affirmed the right of protestors to chant and challenge Brannigan and other trustees at the township meetings,” according to an October 2020 statement from the Arab American Action Network.
Incumbent Assessor Robert Maloney appeared to win with 62 percent of the unofficial vote, however, results reported by the Cook County clerk’s office last week are unofficial until certified and all mail-in and provisional ballots are counted. The canvass deadline is April 27.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
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