Messy Jesse arrested

Rev. Jackson arrested in gun shop protest

By Michelle Gallardo

June 23, 2007 - Rev. Jesse Jackson was among those arrested while demonstrating outside a south suburban gun shop. Father Michael Pleger was also arrested.

They were released around 3:45 p.m. Saturday, but they were back inside the police station in Riverdale Saturday evening talking to the police and trying to press charges against the gun shop owner who called the police on them.

The arrests stemmed from a gun control march that Saturday afternoon. Chuck's Gun Shop has often been linked to guns that are later used in crimes. Therefore, it is a frequent target of gun control activists.

Jackson and Pfleger claim that, at one point, they were invited in by the gun shop owner, but they declined, fearing for their safety. They also claim that the shopkeeper pushed Reverend Jackson just before they were arrested.

" The police believe that store has a right to lock us out and that is not offensive to push us physically," Jackson said.

"We stopped nobody from going in or coming out," Pfleger said. "They said we were being arrested for trespassing. According to what is written on my paper, [we] 'knowingly entered and remained on the property.' I never entered anything. I was standing on the sidewalk."

Reverend Jackson is pressing charges against the gun shop owner for what he said was an assault on his person. The incident only intensifies activists desire to see the doors to the gun shop shut.

Marchers will be at the shop again on Friday at noon.

ABC7 Chicago spoke to the gun shop owner and he also said that he invited Jackson and Pfleger in, and when they did not accept his invitation to come in and talk to him, that is when he called the police. However, he did not address charges as to whether he pushed or did not push Reverend Jackson.

Mr. Starks