Unfence Gillson makes beachfront statement just before season ends

On what is often considered summer’s final weekend, a Wilmette group decided to make one last splash at Gillson Beach.

Unfence Gillson, a grassroots movement in opposition of added restrictions to a portion of Gillson Beach, welcomed about 60 residents for a protest march along the waterfront.

The participants carried signs supporting a more accessible beach, with phrases such as “Unlock Gillson” and “This land is our land.” They also chanted and sang as they marched. Anastasia Royal was there for Unfence Gillson, as she has been most of the summer.

“I thought it was a huge success,” she said. “We had many people there, and many (beachgoers) were clapping along the route. … It was neat to see.”

The demonstration continued a summer-long protest of the changes at Gillson’s south beach.

As previously reported by The Record, the park district implemented new security measures for the area at the beginning of the season. Changes included an entry fee to swim and a slatted dune fence that surrounds the beach and limits access points.

Ever since, the board and park district staff have faced criticism for the changes, with the fence being the main point of contention. Critics contend the measures are unnecessary and limit accessibility for more-vulnerable communities, such as the less mobile and financially insecure.

“We wanted to show that this is something the community in Wilmette is standing up against,” Royal said of the protest. “… We also wanted to show that we won’t be silenced and won’t be stopped.”

The protest occurred a day before the swim season ended. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the park district closed operations at south beach, removing lifeguards, fees and fencing (in progress as of press time) for the offseason. The area is open to the public, who may “swim at their own risk,” the district says.

It is unclear whether the security measures will return in 2025.

At a recent Park Board meeting, Executive Director Steve Wilson said the district will take the time to review feedback and data in the offseason.

“We’re going to take all of that into consideration, we’re going to take staff observations of day-to-day management into consideration, we’re going to take input from the board into consideration and make decisions through the public meeting process for what 2025 looks like,” Wilson said on Aug. 12.

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