OPINION:
Attention-seeking leftists shouldn’t get away with spreading chaos in the pursuit of headlines.
The extremist outfits funded by billionaires such as George Soros might face justice depending on what the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decides to do after hearing a novel lawsuit on April 9.
Two years ago, pro-Hamas zealots staged a “protest” in the middle of Chicago’s Interstate 190, near America’s busiest airport. Christopher Manhart, a traveler trying to catch a flight from the Windy City to Norfolk, Virginia, sued not only the instigating group, A15 Action, but also the shadowy network of foundations such as the Tides Center that provide the cash that greases the gridlock.
This litigation covers only what happened in Illinois, but the coordinated antics snarled critical transportation routes in California, New York and Washington state, with modern-day hippies clogging landmarks such as the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges. A15 Action describes its objective as “blocking the arteries of capitalism and jamming the wheels of production.”
To that end, well-trained delinquents chained themselves together with PVC pipe to discourage the cops arriving on the scene from breaking the siege and clearing the street. Municipal leaders didn’t want the police to intervene, anyway.
Social media posts from participants celebrated after they had “shut down traffic into three O’Hare international terminals for two hours this morning!” Mr. Manhart was one of many whose journeys were sabotaged, and he lost an important business opportunity.
Because his economic loss is tangible, he says, he is entitled to compensation from those responsible. He hopes to convert his cause into a class action so that everyone else confined on the highway that day can be made whole.
District Judge Mary M. Rowland didn’t buy that. Though her honor was technically appointed by President Trump, her resume features stints campaigning for Democratic senators and President Barack Obama. She is one of the many products of the “blue slip” system that allows liberals in the upper chamber to block conservative nominees in blue states.
Judge Rowland insists this case is frivolous because the motorists were never trapped in their automobiles. They could have opened their doors at any time and walked away — never mind that Illinois law makes it a crime to abandon a car on the freeway.
She reasoned that the penalty for such an offense would not have been imposed by the left-wing activists, so it wasn’t relevant to her analysis. Her ruling expressed concern that the lawsuit’s goal was to “harass Defendants” by asking for “$36 million in damages because Defendants allegedly obstructed the highway for a few hours.”
Someone with a cushy, lifetime job may not realize that missing a doctor’s appointment, not being there for family events and wasting “a few hours” in a car can be much more than a minor inconvenience. Eleven state attorneys general agree with Mr. Manhart, so there must be something to his argument.
Instead of being convinced, Judge Rowland sanctioned the victim, saying, “Here, the Court believes the Plaintiff’s filings were presented for the improper purpose of harassment.” In other words, it’s acceptable for the left-wing groups to harass thousands of innocent drivers, but it’s “harassment” to pursue recompense for injuries suffered.
In a just society, roadway Bolsheviks would be beating their drums and chanting from a prison cell. That’s not an option in blue states where prosecutors and judges are of one mind with the disruptors.
Thus, it’s up to the 7th Circuit or the state legislature to clarify the law to prevent this ongoing abuse.
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