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Emanuel Touts McPier Accord, Announces New Shows

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and "McPier" officials on Friday revealed the first fruits of the recent labor agreement at McCormick Place: new trade shows bringing in tens of millions of dollars and hundreds of millions in new hotel investments.

"We will be coming here not only in '13 but in 2015, in large part because of the fine work of a lot of great people," Brian Tully of Solar Power International said during a news conference.

With the influx of shows, hotel officials announced they would move forward with hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations.

"Now that the McCormick Place reforms are going to be implemented, our hotel and others owned by Blackstone Group have plans to spend over $125 million in renovations and capital improvements starting in the next few months," John Wells of Hilton Chicago said.

In other news Friday, Emanuel answered questions about the continuing Occupy Chicago protests and how he planned to handle them. Demonstrators have been arrested for refusing to leave Grant Park after closing time.

"The First Amendment is essential and your ability to express your views on a range of topics is essential, and we as a city will respect that and protect that and ensure that," the mayor said. "Also, we will ensure that the law is enforced, regardless."

The mayor also talked about a proposed crackdown on people who don't get licenses for their pets.

"We all love our individual pets," the mayor said. "But you can't have some people abiding and being responsible and others not. Then basically the system falls apart, if you don't have comprehensive and total enforcement."

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports

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