Several Austin neighborhood residents and community leaders staged a protest Friday at the YMCA's corporate headquarters in the Chicago area, demanding a meeting with the company's CEO.
The protesters are upset with the Y's decision to shut down its Austin location, saying the facility was a safe haven for neighborhood children.
"It's almost like being in the height of the Afghanistan War and sending the troops home. We don't need the troops to go home. We need a surge," said Rev. Ira Acree of the Greater St. John Bible Church.
Three north suburban centers, in Waukegan and Vernon Hills, will shut down at the end of the month.
