5 Brannigan Protesters Arrested At Palos Township Board Meeting

PALOS HILLS, IL — Activists claim they were dragged out of Monday’s Palos Township board meeting, handcuffed and arrested after they demanded the resignation of Trustee Sharon Brannigan for "racist" comments she allegedly made about Muslims and Arab Americans on social media two years ago.

The #ResignBrannigan organizers have been embroiled in a 24-month standoff with the Palos Township Board of Trustees and Brannigan, who has publicly stated that she has no intention of resigning her elected post. Members of Arab American Action Network and Take On Hate have also stepped up efforts in recent months, calling for the other trustees to censure Brannigan for her "racist speech, her racist ideas and white supremacy."

Hatem Abudayyeh, director of the Arab American Action Network, said their supporters filled the township hall’s meeting room before Monday's meeting in Palos Hills, just as they have been doing for the past two years. As the #ResignBrannigan activists began challenging the other township trustees to censure Brannigan, Palos Hills police arrived. Abudayyeh said that "private security officers" sitting in the audience pointed out to officers the five people they wanted to have ejected from the meeting. The activists left on their own volition, according to Abudayyeh.

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"We've been doing this for two years and this is the first time private security have been there," he said in a Facebook Live interview outside the Palos Hills police station. "When police asked [the five activists] to leave, they left without resisting and were still cuffed when they came outside."

Some #ResignBrannigan activists and their supporters questioned whether the "private security" officers were actually undercover Palos Hills police officers. The Palos Hills Police Department could not immediately be reached for comment.

"We asked what security company they were with, and they didn't answer," Abudayyeh said. "Next thing we knew they were pointing out the activists whom they wanted to be kicked out of the meeting and police dragged them out."

The activists were brought to the Palos Hills police station, where they were reportedly charged with criminal trespassing. The Arab American Action Network sent out tweets of "mass arrests," asking supporters to call Palos Hills police to demand the activists' release. All five were bonded out.

Brannigan has not been accused of making any derogatory remarks about Muslims or Arab Americans since 2017, but "that was enough to know who she is and what she represents," Abudayyeh said.

He said the coalition of activists from various groups who have shown up to demand Brannigan's resignation at the township board meetings are now demanding that her colleagues censure her.

"Brannigan's resignation is our number one demand," Abudayyeh said. "Now, we believe [the Palos Township trustees] are just as guilty for allowing her to stay and spew her racist rhetoric. We've seen across the country and the world people getting attacked and killed in black churches, synagogues and mosques because of language like Sharon Brannigan's."

In 2017, Brannigan had allegedly posted comments on Facebook questioning the U.S. citizenship of the growing number of students of Middle Eastern background enrolled in Palos Township's public schools. She is also said to have praised female members of President Donald Trump's family for not wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf during the Trumps' visit to the Middle East that same year. Brannigan, who says she is a Trump supporter, unsuccessfully ran as the Republican challenger against Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski in 2014.

Early on after the Palos Township board meetings began filling with protesters, Brannigan released a statement apologizing for her "poorly crafted words," which she said were misconstrued as being "anti-immigrant, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim." She has stated publicly that she has no intention of resigning despite mounting pressure from the activists during township board meetings. Brannigan has also drawn sympathy from some constituents who perceive her as being bullied by the #ResignBrannigan activists.

Following Monday's general board meeting, Brannigan issued a written statement claiming that only those "protesters who were disruptive, yelling and trying to obstruct the meeting were removed and arrested." She further stated that the combined efforts of the Palos Township board and the U.S. Department of Justice "have attempted conversations with the protesters and to no avail have they cooperated."

"For the last two years, the protesters (most of whom don’t live in the district) are responsible for violating the rights of residents," Brannigan stated. "Our residents have seen their rights trampled and abused by the uncompromising and intolerant outside professional agitators. The Palos Township Board has been patient listening and understanding for the last two years."

Abudayyeh maintained that the activists were exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.

"Our meetings are packed with over 100 people. We believe this is an act of intimidation, and we also know it's not going to work. Next month we'll have double the people there."

Watch the Facebook Live interview