CHICAGO – Activists who want to march through Chicago on the opening day of the NATO summit said Friday they will start their demonstration in Grant Park instead of Daley Plaza if they can get a written agreement with the city by Wednesday.

They also threatened to mount a First Amendment case in federal court if they don't get what they want.

The announcement came a day after an administrative law judge sided with the city in denying the group's request to march May 20 on a route starting at centrally located Daley Plaza. The judge ruled the route would place an "undue strain on city resources" and would eliminate two north-south streets as routes for NATO delegation motorcades.