Nation IN BRIEF : ILLINOIS : Gang Members Meet Amid Criticism

Chicago gang members gathered at the Operation PUSH office to discuss restoring broken family relationships and rebuilding neighborhoods torn by gang turf battles. They were urged to build self-respect and take control of their own destinies. The weekend gathering is proceeding without the blessings of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who criticized it as an attempt to legitimize street gangs through politics. In addition, seven members of the Chicago branch of the Guardian Angels, a crime watch group, protested by marching through the lobby of the Congress Hotel with picket signs and chanting, “Get rid of the guns. Get rid of the drugs.”