Will County Gazette

Jen Monson, a candidate for Illinois State Senate District 43, has recently reacted to a protest that took place near Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Monson, who is set to compete against incumbent Democrat Rachel Ventura in the forthcoming general election, shared an article from the Washington Examiner on her social media platform.

"What is happening in Illinois," said jennifer Monson for IL Senate, according to Facebook. "We cannot and should not tolerate, encourage, or support such behavior."

In her Facebook post, Monson circulated a link to a story from the Washington Examiner about a protest that disrupted traffic heading towards Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The article reported that protesters assembled before 8 a.m. on April 15 and obstructed traffic on Interstate 190 traveling westbound. The demonstration led some travelers to abandon their vehicles and walk to the airport. Furthermore, it caused Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) to reschedule his flight that day.

Screenshot of Jen Monson's April 15 Facebook post | JenMonson4ILSenate43 Facebook page

The article also highlighted that law enforcement arrested 40 protesters who were blocking traffic. Of those arrested, 31 were female and nine were male; the age of protesters ranged from 19 to 43 years old. It further mentioned other protests happening across the country at locations such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, and at the entrance of Lockheed Martin's office in Virginia. According to the publication, all these protests were anti-Israel.

NBC5 Chicago reported that traffic was halted for approximately an hour due to protesters blocking the Kennedy Expressway. The report added that pro-Palestinian demonstrators also affected traffic in Loop after holding a rally at Federal Plaza where 14 people were arrested. As of Monday night, charges against those arrested had not been disclosed.

ABC7 revealed that protesters selected April 15 specifically because it was tax day in the US. The objective of this protest was to draw more attention to the Israel-Gaza conflict and express support for Palestinians. ABC7 also covered the afternoon protest in Loop which resulted in Upper Wacker Drive being closed down in both directions at LaSalle Street by 6 p.m.

Monson, the Republican nominee for Illinois State Senate District 43, ran unopposed in the primary election. As per her campaign website, she is an educator and a school board member who aims to "work to maintain citizen rights and their ability to exercise their God-given rights to exist and live freely without unconstitutional government overreach."