Two ordinances drawn up for controlling protests and maintaining security in the city of Chicago during upcoming NATO/G8 meetings passed through the Chicago City Council today. The ordinances, which organizers from Occupy Chicago and the Coalition Against the NATO/G8 (CANG8) call “sit down and shut up” ordinances, were met with some opposition that led to revisions, but not enough to allay concerns of critics, including ACLU and Occupy Chicago.

For the past months, the Working Group has been relentlessly campaigning for the city to grant permits for at least two marches and rallies during the meetings. The city has denied the permits. Now, in “emergency fashion,” Emanuel would like the City Council to pass an ordinance that gives Emanuel blanket power to suppress freedom of assembly and speech during the meetings as well as the authority to spend Chicago taxpayers’ money as he pleases on the meetings that he hopes will bring the city of Chicago great prestige.

Republican Governor Scott Walker has proposed a new policy “to require future protesters to pay in advance to stage an event, at a cost of $50 per hour, per Capitol Police officer.” Not only would protesters be on the hook for that, but they would also possibly have to pay for liability insurance or bond and even the cost of cleanup following the protest.