North Shore Residents Charged Over Greenpeace Trump Tower Banner

CHICAGO, IL — Four people accused of hanging a banner on Trump Tower Friday in protest of President Donald Trump's policies have been charged with felonies and appeared in court Monday. Prosecutors said they caused thousands of dollars by hanging a Greenpeace banner containing the words "resist" and "defend" with a picture of planet Earth.

North Shore residents Taylor Blevons, 27, of Deerfield, and Jeremy Alpert, 43, of Glencoe, went up to the tower's 16th floor terrace and lowered nylon ropes to Wendy Jennings, 38, of Minneapolis, Minnesota and David Khoury, 47, of Leslie, Arkansas, who were on the ground level dressed as construction workers, prosecutors alleged. All four were charged with felony criminal damage to property and misdemeanor reckless conduct.

» VIDEO: Greenpeace Banner Hung From Trump Tower

Two Chicago women, 31-year-old and 54-year-old of the Lincoln Square neighborhood, were also charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct, Chicago police said. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Winnetka & Glencoe — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Police said those arrested "caused a disturbance" and "extensive damage to the building" by hanging the banner.

The Trump administration is attacking our communities & our planet. We will #RESIST! Join the #SummerOfResistance >> https://t.co/8UU76Nd1fq pic.twitter.com/KJ6t5juvZJ
— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) July 7, 2017

Prosecutor Craig Taczy said Monday a seventh suspect was on the walkway during the demonstration but still has not been identified or located by police, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Taczy said the terrace's stainless steel railing was "severely damaged" by winds that pulled the banner. Custom-made brackets that hold windows onto the railing were valued at $1,500 and four are needed for each window, the Tribune reported.

Judge Donald Panarese Jr. allowed all four defendants to be released from custody under electronic monitoring, according to the Tribune. The two from outside Illinois have been allowed to travel home and go to work but must stay away from Trump Tower.

Their next court date was been scheduled for Friday.

Top photo (Clockwise) Taylor Blevons, Jeremy Alpert, David Khoury, Wendy Jennings | via Chicago PD