At the grand opening of Mariano’s on Skokie Boulevard, the signs, balloons and banners were met with a crowd of protesters.

Junior Jorge Alvarado has worked at the Skokie Boulevard location since its opening in August and knew the protests were against Mariano’s current gun policy.

“They just let people bring guns into the store,” Alvarado said.

According to Lee Goodman, organizer of Peaceful Communities, which arranged the protests, Mariano’s acts under the Illinois Firearm Conceal and Carry Act, which allows concealed firearms to be brought onto property unless there is a sign posted that prohibits them.

“If a person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon and they see one of these signs, they know from their training … that they’re not allowed to bring their gun inside,” Goodman said.

  At the intersection of Dundee Road and Skokie Boulevard, protesters rallied for no-firearm signs to be posted by wielding an array of posters, with some saying “Caution: Guns Allowed” or “Signs Save Lives,” Goodman said, who participated in the protests.

“Their current policy is they’re letting people carry guns [in their store] when they don’t have to let them,” said Goodman. “Now, when we ask them why, all they will say is they’re following the law, but this is rather deceptive because the law says they can choose whether to let people carry guns or not.  It’s true they are not violating the law but neither would they be violating the law if they said no guns.”

Mariano’s declined to comment on their gun policy, but released a statement in response to the protests saying the store will not prohibit an individual from purchasing groceries if they bring a concealed weapon in the store.

“The message [Mariano’s] is sending is they don’t really care about the safety of their customers or their employees,” Goodman said.

Alvarado, however, does not believe his safety is being jeopardized by the policy.

“I still feel pretty safe,” said Alvarado. “I don’t think anyone is going to bring a gun into the store and start shooting people.”

According to Goodman, the protesters’ desire for Mariano’s to ban guns from their store has more to do with accidents involved with guns than intended violence.

Goodman said in these concealed carry situations, people have left their guns in their grocery carts, and children who are in the cart get the guns and shoot people by accident. According to USA Today, in Dec. 2014 a female shopper was fatally shot in a Walmart in Spokane, Washington after her toddler reached into her purse and accidentally discharged her handgun.

Before organizing the protests, Peaceful Communities spoke with Mariano’s about changing its current gun policy. However, Goodman felt they were “getting nowhere” and saw their protest as an opportunity to get their message across.

“We started our campaign at Mariano’s because they just happened to be having a grand opening in Northbrook, and we wanted them to know from the beginning of the first day that they were in Northbrook and that we didn’t approve,” said Goodman. “The message [at their grand opening] is not just fresh vegetables. The message is also letting people be endangered in a situation where they don’t need to be in danger.”

Alvarado said Northbrook is a safe community, and there is not much to worry about.

“Everyone is saying ‘Oh, it is so boring. It’s Northbrook. Nothing is going on here,’ but it’s true,” Alvarado said.

Despite that, Alvarado said if he was in Mariano’s’ position, he would put up the no-firearm signs.

“It’s a store and it has customers,” said Alvarado. “If they don’t have that, they could lose customers. And if they do have that, they won’t lose customers.”