Chicago, IL – One month after the historic protests against NATO, activists from across Chicago and even Milwaukee gathered in the shadow of the McCormick Place, site of the NATO summit, on June 30, for a discussion on the lessons of the NATO protests. The event was held at Trinity Episcopal Church and sponsored by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

In the months leading to the May 20 NATO summit, Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the corporate media mounted a campaign to vilify protesters. In this growing climate of fear, Trinity Church took the opposite stand, allowing protesters to serve food, to camp and to hold meetings there.

At the June 30 forum, Trinity Church welcomed those in attendance. Senior Warden of the Vestry of Trinity, John Marshall, greeted the 40 some people and said that he saw the anti-NATO protesters doing the same work as the church. In his words, “If we hadn’t supported you, when we get in front of Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates, we’d have some explaining.”

Alex Han, an activist with Stand Up, Chicago also spoke. Han was a speaker at the founding conference of CANG8 (the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda), the group that organized the mass march. A year ago, on June 22 when the NATO and at the time, G8 summits were announced in Chicago, many doubted that organized labor would endorse the protests. Han explained that Stand Up, Chicago had that same week in June launched a campaign of challenging the bankers and the CEOs. “3000 workers marched against a conference of financial officers of major financial corporations,” he said. Labor’s involvement was cemented because of the role of Occupy Chicago.

Vince Emanuelle of the Iraq Veterans Against the War spoke about the dramatic high point of the May 20 protest, when 40 veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq threw their medals back to the NATO high command in front of 15,000 protesters at the CANG8 march. Emanuelle said that the veterans are struggling to understand what they went through and concluded, “We have to oppose imperialism and all forms of oppression.”

The most important social movement to emerge this year was the Occupy movement, and Rachael Perrotta, a frequent spokesperson for the Occupy Chicago media committee, was the next to address the forum. She spoke about the level of involvement of the Occupy movement, the 10 days of protest and action, including teach ins, that Occupy helped organize against NATO. “Our press committee was at the convergence center at Multi Kulti [a grassroots activism center], where we had huge screens of feeds from all our indy media video. We were able to communicate with 20 Occupy spokespersons in the protests to respond to requests for interviews from mainstream media.” The mood of protest created by Occupy laid the basis for the success of the NATO protests.

Joe Iosbaker of FRSO was the last speaker and commented on the historic victory that was scored against NATO and the ruling class.

The forum then broke into small groups, where everyone grappled with the debates over tactics that had faced CANG8 and the anti NATO protesters throughout the year.

At the close of the event, Iosbaker reminded the group of the importance of their gathering and debates. “Within every fight we take up, there are actually two fights: the struggle on the streets between us and our enemy; and the struggle for summation. Of the two, the second is the most important, because we can win in the streets and lose the battle for summation.”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO #CANG8 #NATOG8Summit2012 #ChicagoNATOSummit

The church, located at 125 E 26th Street, is the closest congregation to McCormick Place – literally in the shadow of the NATO summit.

Trinity Episcopal has invited protesters arriving from outside Chicago to camp on their lawn during the weekend of May 19-21. One group of cyclists (grassroutescaravan.org) that will be arriving from Madison, Wisconsin, on the evening of May 19 will be the first group to take them up on the offer.

To prepare the neighbors for the sight of protesters sleeping in tents on the lawn of the church, the congregation will co-host a town hall meeting with the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8) on May 3, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Newland Smith, organizer for CANG8’s Interfaith Committee and an Episcopalian activist, said, “The stand taken by Reverend Narain and the leadership at Trinity is an inspiration. This is the response to the expression of First Amendment rights we would expect of our elected representatives, instead of threats to re-open Joliet Prison.”

Speakers at the town hall meeting will include Father Bob Bossie, 8th Day Center for Justice; Mary Dean, Voices for Creative Non-Violence, who spent part of last year in Afghanistan; Margaret Jackson, American Friends Service Committee and Rabbi Brant Rosen of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston. National Nurses United and the Iraq Veterans Against the War will also have spokespersons present.

Joe Iosbaker of CANG8 praised the congregation. “More and more people are turning against the war in Afghanistan and will march in their thousands and tens of thousands to bring an end to it. We expect more churches will follow the lead of Trinity Episcopal.”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #CANG8 #ChicagoNATOSummit #TrinityEpiscopalChurch

Minneapolis, MN – On April 16, the Minnesota Anti-War Committee hosted Joe Iosbaker, one of the principle organizers of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8), in the Twin Cities. CANG8 is organizing a massive protest in Chicago May 20, at the opening of the NATO Summit.

Iosbaker first spoke at an event organized by the Anti-War Committee for people interested in going to Chicago and where protesters made signs, t-shirts, banners and buttons to take to the march. Later that evening Iosbaker spoke at a packed fundraiser organized by the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition, Women Against Military Madness and the Anti-War Committee which raised scholarship funds for low-income supporters and students to come on the busses to Chicago.

Last summer the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) was founded and announced that it was organizing protests at the join NATO/G8 Summit in Chicago in May 2012. Many local anti-war groups joined the coalition at its founding and agreed to organize Minnesotans to participate in this important national demonstration.

Minnesotans attending the events were enthusiastic supporters of Iosbaker’s stories explaining CANG8’s victories defending the right to protest. Meredith Aby, an organizer with the Anti-War Committee explained, “As Minnesotans we remember from the demonstrations at the 2008 Republican National Convention how politicians love to use these national security events as pretexts for restricting the right to protest. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel has shown he is no different. However, CANG8 and Occupy Chicago joined forces with local unions and other community groups and fought back most of the free speech restrictions the mayor proposed, giving the former White House chief of staff his first political failure as mayor of Chicago. The movement in Chicago should inspire everyone to defend the right to protest!”

Iosbaker also announced that the protest has received a high profile endorsement from the Reverend Jesse Jackson. Jackson announced at Occupy Chicago’s April Return to the Streets protest that he intends to march against NATO on May 20. Iosbaker motivated Minnesotans by informing people that in April unions representing over 135,000 workers endorsed the protest on the NATO Summit on May 20, including the Chicago Teachers Union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Locals 73 and Health Care Illinois/Indiana and the United Electrical workers Western Region.

Local anti-war organizers expect around 100 Minnesotans to ride the busses organized by the Anti-War Committee and WAMM, with hundreds more driving themselves. Minnesota has a strong movement for peace and justice which will be well represented in Chicago to demand money for human needs not for war.

Information about the buses from Minnesota can be found at antiwarcommittee.org.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #AntiWarCommittee #OccupyChicago #CANG8 #ChicagoNATOSummit

“Mayor Emanuel lied to the people of Chicago,” said Andy Thayer. “He said the city had the ability to police this summit and at the same time protect the First Amendment rights of ordinary civilians. Now, in denying the permit, he’s said the city doesn’t have sufficient resources for the requested NATO protest route.”

“The city doesn’t want voices of opposition to the NATO war in Afghanistan or to the G8 agenda of poverty for the 99%,” said CANG8's Joe Iosbaker. Iosbaker had applied for and received a tentative permit for Daley Plaza for May. “In December, the city said that Daley Plaza would be open for First Amendment activity during the G8/NATO summits.”

The city has now not only denied a permit request for First Amendment activity at the Plaza, it has defended its denial in an administrative hearing.

The CANG8 activists asked the city for commitment in writing of a promised permit for Petrillo Band Shell in historic Grant Park; for a march route to McCormick Place that would take them through at least part of the Loop (Chicago’s business district) and a waiver of a $1 million insurance requirement for the park.

They also asked the city to join them in defending the offered route against threats by the Secret Service. The government has declared the NATO summit a National Special Security Event and the Secret Service could declare a wide security perimeter, without the right to assemble. Reached by phone, Iosbaker said, “Declaring this a National Security Event doesn’t give them the power to suspend the constitution. We have the right to march against the wars that the U.S. and NATO are waging and threatening to wage.”

If the city refuses these demands, the group will consider a First Amendment case in federal court.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #CANG8 #NATOSummit

The Interfaith Committee intends to continue to gather the support of faith leaders to defend the right to protest war and austerity.

The text of the statement follows:

A PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES

WHEREAS the founders of our American democracy, when debating the freedoms that should apply to “we the people,” rejected the proposal that these freedoms be “tolerated,” and affirmed that these freedoms are “rights – even unalienable rights – that the government must always honor; and

WHEREAS the Bill of Rights – not the Bill of “Toleration” – of the United States Constitution places the freedom of religion first, but associates it with the essential freedoms of speech, of the press, of peaceable assembly, and of petition the government for redress of grievances; and

WHEREAS religious leaders and their communities have a long and continuing tradition of defending these essential and interconnected rights whenever the government has sought to compromise or deny them as a means of exercising control, exploiting fear, and imposing unreasonable physical and expressive restrictions on persons and groups; and

WHEREAS the political and community leaders of the City of Chicago have determined that benefits will be realized by inviting the G8 and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to hold their scheduled summits in May of 2012 in the City, and that these invitations have been accepted; and

WHEREAS the political leaders of the City of Chicago have now used the occasion of the forthcoming summit meetings of the G8 and NATO to rewrite and make significantly more restrictive and oppressive those ordinances applying especially to the freedom of speech and the freedom of peaceable assembly, and to threaten and intimidate with massive police action, arrest, and exorbitant fines those who are planning to assemble and speak in protest against the policies and actions of the G8 and NATO as well as other matters of national and international concern; and

WHEREAS these political leaders of the City of Chicago have taken steps to unreasonably limit the hours and places for free speech and peaceable assembly during the G8 and NATO summits, including spaces that are officially acknowledged to be “public” in character, and even to discourage non-protesting persons, groups, and institutions from their presence in these public areas; and

WHEREAS, we as leaders of faith communities of the greater Chicago region and other parts of the country have a religious and public responsibility for demanding that political and community leaders meet their assigned duties ethically, legally, and in keeping with the Constitution of the United States of America;

WE, therefore, the undersigned religious leaders petition the Mayor of the City of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, and members of the City Council, to cease and desist from the enactment of any and all laws and ordinances, policies and practices that, in word or in spirit, violate, compromise, and undermine the clear and consistent meaning of the United States Constitution and it Bill of Rights.

Signatures (Institution/Religious affiliation is for identification purposes only)

• The Rev. Thomas Aldworth, Pastor, Morgan Park Baptist Church, Chicago
• The Rev. Luis Alvarenga, Iglesia Unido de Cristo, Berwyn
• The Rev. Jacki Belile (ABC – USA); Founder and Director, Living well Ministries
• Fr. Bob Bossie, SCJ
• John Cassel, First Church of the Brethren
• Joyce Cassel, First Church of the Brethren
• The Rev. Ann Coburn, Episcopal Church
• Dr. Pauline Coffman, Middle East Task Force of Chicago Presbytery
• The Rev. Daniel Dale, Senior Minister, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ, Chicago
• The Rev. William Exner, Vice-Chair, National Executive Council, Episcopal Peace Fellowship
• The Rev. Sarah Fisher, Rector, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Chicago
• The Rev. Dr. Cotton Fite, Priest Associate, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Evanston
• The Rev. Lee A. Gaede, Deacon, St. Giles Episcopal Church, Northbrook
• Dr. Linda Gaither, Chair, National Executive Council, Episcopal Peace Fellowship
• The Rev. Larry Greenfield, Executive Minister, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago
• Dr. Marshall Elijah Hatch, Senior Pastor, New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church; The Leader’s Network, Chairman
• Rafeeq Jaber CFP, Treasurer, Civil Rights Education Center
• The Rev. Damon R. Jones, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Berwyn, American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago
• The Rev. Jackie Lynn, Executive Director, Episcopal Peace Fellowship
• The Rev. Loren McGrail, Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ, Chicago
• Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, Chair, Board of Parliament of World Religions
• The Rev. Emeka P. Nwachuku, Vicar, St. Andrew’s Pentecost Episcopal Church, Evanston
• Fr. Robert H. Oldershaw, Pastor emeritus, St. Nicholas Parish, Evanston
• Ahmed Qadeer, Co-Vice Chairman, DuPage United Secretary, Naperville Interfaith Leaders Association (NILA), Ex-President, Islamic Center of Naperville)
• The Rev. Bonnie Perry, Rector, Rector/Senior Pastor, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Chicago
• The Rev. Primitivo C. Racimo, Vicar, St. Margaret of Scotland Episcopal Church, Chicago
• The Rev. Elizabeth Ritzman, American Baptist Churches, USA
• The Rev. Dr. Douglas R. Sharp, Interim Minister, Lake Street Church of Evanston, American Baptist Churches, USA
• Swami Shraddhananda, Yoga Chicago (magazine)
• Mr. Newland Smith, Librarian Emeritus, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
• The Rev. Dr. Jerome A. Stone, Evanston
• The Rev. Linda Tossey, Pastor, Community Baptist Church, Warrenville
• The Very Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer, Rector, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Chicago
• The Rev. Robert T. Yeager, Oak Park

#ChicagoIL #civilLiberties #FirstAmendment #MayorRahmEmmanuel #CANG8 #NATOG8Summit2012 #BillOfRights

At 12:30 today, Rahm Emanuel officiated over the death of the Bill of Rights in the City Council chambers.

Ordinances designed to severely restrict First Amendment rights of speech and assembly were presented on December 14th. The stated target was to prepare to repress protesters during the summits of NATO and the G8.

At first, aldermen and the media all agreed that no one would oppose Emanuel on this.

In response to mayor's attack on civil liberties, the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) joined together with Occupy Chicago and several unions to unite our efforts to defend of civil liberties in Chicago. By last week, aldermen had felt so much pressure from constituents that they had to speak out.

Emanuel then moved to withdraw first one, and then another, of the most criticized pieces. Protests continued to grow; Emanuel retreated further; the protests mounted, and he retreated even further.

Finally, a version was reached that the council opposition could vote for, hoping that the movement would not condemn them. The final version is still a significant attack on democratic rights; its passage is a defeat for our movement.

The mayor has not achieved his true objective, though. Emanuel looks at the new Chicago he has inherited, with protesters in so many places, and he wants to put the genie back in the bottle. It’s not possible.

We have the right to protest against war, austerity, and inequality. Mayor Emanuel, you’ll see us in the streets of Chicago: our streets.

#ChicagoIL #civilLiberties #FirstAmendment #OccupyChicago #MayorRahmEmmanuel #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarPovertyAgenda #CANG8 #NATOG8Summit2012 #BillOfRights

Chicago, IL – Over 50 people gathered in City Hall, Jan. 17, to speak out against plans by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to restrict the right to protest. They held a press conference, and then proceeded to pack into two consecutive hearings held by City Council committees.

CANG8 (Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda) called the press conference. It bought togather union officials, community activists, faith leaders, anti-war activists and members of Occupy Chicago. CANG8 and Occupy Chicago called for people to stop what Occupy folks termed the “Sit Down and Shut Up” ordinance.

The headline-grabbing restrictions in the ordinance included greatly increased fines for those arrested in protests. (Charges of “Resisting or Interfering with a Police Officer” are among the most common in arrests during protests. In Chicago, “going limp” is considered resisting arrest.) Fines were to be increased from $25 to $200 at a minimum and doubling of the maximum fine to $1,000. Also, the fines for violations during a permitted march would be increased by a multiple of 20, from $50 to $1000.

The ordinances also said that organizers would be required to provide the city with “a description of any recording equipment, sound amplification equipment, banners, signs, or other attention-getting devices to be used in connection with the parade” at least a week in advance of the any march. Plus activists would have to guarantee one parade marshal for every 100 participants, and officials wanted to decrease the amount of time from two hours fifteen minutes to two hours that a march could be in the street.

Why these restrictions now?

Mayor Emanuel is trying to deter protest against NATO and the G8. He is also trying to clamp down on the Occupy Chicago movement that emerged this fall. Since the announcement of the NATO/G8 summits, there has been an intimidating, well publicized build up for heavy handed policing; a campaign to demonize those who might protest, both in the press with the story line that “protests lead to violence,” but also through presentations of “security assessments,” warning of the same thing in private meetings with schools, churches and cultural agencies in the downtown area; an effort at the same time to obstruct permits for rallies/marches; and finally ordinance changes that both further the intimidation of potential protestors and place greater restrictions on those planning permitted assemblies.

Response to Public Opinion

Emanuel’s move to restrict the right to protest caused a fire storm of civil liberties complaints. When his ordinances were first introduced one month ago, city council leaders were said to be in the “yes” camp, supporting the mayor. But CANG8 stood against it, and prominent civil liberties voices were raised. Occupy Chicago, the Teachers Union and SEIU joined in; and then an outpouring of grass roots folks gave the city council the courage to take a stand against these restrictions of constitutional rights.

In the middle of this debate, the City of Chicago granted permits to CANG8 for a family friendly rally and march on May 19. Mayor Emanuel responded to public opinion, which clearly supported the right to protest against NATO’s wars and the poverty that the G8 is pushing onto working people through its cutbacks.

In response to the pressure, the most egregious of the restrictions were reduced: increased fines for arrests in protests were dropped; the fines for march permit violations were reduced from$1000 each to $200 each; the requirement for one marshall for every 100 marchers was dropped; the requirement for amplification was reduced to informing them of any equipment too large to be carried by an individual; and the time limit for marches was left at two hours and fifteen minutes. The revised ordinance language has dropped the requirement that those applying for parade permits during the summits provide detailed information about the signs they planned to carry.

Any restriction on the right to protest is wrong

Organizers with CANG8, Occupy Chicago and organized labor are still urging members of the council to look at the intent, and think about the context: Mayor Emanuel invited the bankers and the generals here before Tahrir Square; before the protests in Madison, Wisconsin; and before Occupy Wall Street. He wants to deter protest in Chicago. The Emanuel administration has engaged in a campaign of vilification: “protests lead to violence” is how it is expressed. The superintendent of police and the mayor have threatened mass arrests from the moment CANG8 stepped forward to talk about a family friendly protest.

The mayor looks at the new Chicago he has inherited, with protestors in so many places, and he wants to put the genie back in the bottle. It’s not possible.

Any restriction on democratic rights is wrong. The city should not restrict its majority—workers, students, low income folks—as they find their voices. The city has voted in the past against war. Most people in Chicago are against the agenda of the NATO and G8 summits. Protestors have a right to deliver the message: “Jobs, Housing, Healthcare, Education, the Environment, our Pensions: Not War.” At the NATO / G8 summit.

On Wednesday, activists will pack the city council chambers during the vote on the ordinance changes.

The ordinances still quadruple the minimum fine from $50 to $200 for any violations of the parade permit; they give Chicago Police Superintendent McCarthy the power to hire private security companies to video protests, forging agreements with “public or private entities concerning placement, installation, maintenance or use of video, audio telecommunications, or other similar equipment. McCarthy is still allowed to deputize out-of-state law enforcement personnel during the summits. Protestors are still required to provide the city a description of large signs.

#ChicagoIL #civilLiberties #OccupyChicago #MayorRahmEmmanuel #CANG8 #NATOG8Summit2012 #rightToProtest

Chicago, IL – The City of Chicago bowed to pressure from a growing movement against war and cutbacks. After months of denying organizers permits to protest , the Public Building Commission of Chicago wrote that, “…yes, Daley Plaza will be open to public assembly and public activity during the G8/NATO Summits in May 2012.”

At a press conference Dec. 22, in front of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office, Joe Iosbaker of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) stated, “This is a clear victory for CANG8 and for all those who want to march against war and poverty when the generals, banksters and heads of state meet here on May 19.”

On Nov. 9, in an email to Iosbaker, the managers of Daley Plaza stated, “Unfortunately we are not approving any permits for the use of the plaza May 15th-22nd.” One week later, CANG8 met with city officials, including those who refused a request to state that protestors would be permitted to gather anywhere in the Loop (Chicago’s downtown) during the dates of the summits.

But after bringing together the support of labor, community, faith-based and civil liberties organizations, as well as Occupy Chicago and national and international pressure to insist on the right to protest, the city has reversed itself.

However, while making this concession, Emanuel launched new attacks last week. Andy Thayer of CANG8 denounced the draconian restrictions being threatened against marches in ordinances submitted to the Chicago City Council. Thayer explained that these could be voted on at the next City Council meeting on Jan. 18 and called on alderpersons to oppose them.

N’Dana Carter of Southside Together Organizing for Power/Mental Health Movement explained why people in Chicago will be marching against NATO and the G8. She related that Mayor Emanuel is closing half of the mental health clinics run by the city, at a time when the need is greater because of the crisis in people’s lives. She explained that the cuts coming down on the poor are coming from the richest 1%, which is who will be at the G8 and NATO summits.

Jennifer Wolan, a student from Dundee Crown High School and president of their Youth Labor Committee, spoke about why she plans to march in May. “I don’t see democracy when restrictions are put on the people, the working class and the students.” While speaking of videoing protesters, Wolan said, “I don’t see anyone planning to video the violence by NATO in Afghanistan.”

With this victory in hand, the group that gathered today is confident that they will win permits to march to within sight and sound of the summits at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #JoeIosbaker #RahmEmanuel #CANG8 #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8War #PovertyAgenda

On Dec. 14, the mayor threatened new laws that would hit protesters with arrests and hefty fines, increase curfews in the parks and give new powers for the superintendent of police to deny the use of video and audio recording equipment, among other powers.

“At a time when the mayor should be granting us permits, because we have the right to march against the criminal bankers and the warmongering generals, he’s taking a step in the wrong direction. He’s trying to take away more rights,” said Joe Iosbaker of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8).

Iosbaker continued, “We think this is intended to stop people from protesting.”

One day earlier, the mayor told protesters that he would protect their First Amendment rights. He also said, “I…think that…out there is an angst about middle class, working and middle class, holding on to their economic security for themselves and their children.”

Ironically, NATO, the G8, and the Emanuel administration are all carrying out attacks on working class people. The U.S. government and NATO are waging an unjust war in Afghanistan. The bankers of the wealthy nations are forcing poverty on the 99%. Emanuel, like them, is closing schools and clinics, laying off workers, and giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

Iosbaker said, “He can threaten us, but we won’t back down, because we have the right to march against war and austerity.”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #JoeIosbaker #RahmEmanuel #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarPovertyAgenda #CANG8

Chicago, IL- After months of avoiding organizers planning the protests against the NATO and G8 Summit next spring, Mayor Rahm Emanuel finally got an earful Dec. 13. Thirty people from the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) packed a meeting of the Public Building Commission (PBC), which Emanuel chairs. Joe Iosbaker, Andy Thayer and Newland Smith of CANG8 all spoke to the commissioners and pressed the demands for permits to march on the summits of bankers, generals and politicians.

Iosbaker had applied for a permit for Daley Plaza back in June. The plaza is one of the few places in the Loop (Chicago’s downtown) where large crowds can assemble. The realty company, MB Realty, that manages the plaza at first told Iosbaker he had correctly submitted the application. Five months later, they told him that the city would not allow any protests to occur in the plaza during the dates of the NATO/G8 summits. Then, the Public Building Commission, which owns the plaza and employs MB Realty, responded to a letter from the National Lawyers Guild. They now say that the reason for denial is a regulation that a permit for May protests must be submitted after the first of the year.

According to Iosbaker, the letter from MB Realty was a moment where, “… the curtain is pulled aside, like in The Wizard of Oz, and the real intentions of the administration are seen: they want to deter protests.” According to Iosbaker, to achieve this objective, the Emanuel administration “… is preparing to deny permit applications. They informed their agents at MB Realty that they would not be allowing permits that week. However, MB Realty wasn’t sufficiently coached,” and so they blurted out the truth.

Andy Thayer scored a victory by forcing an exchange with Emanuel. Thayer asked whether the mayor, “…would commit to permits for either Daley Plaza or Grant Park [the only two venues in the Loop large enough for the expected turnout]. The Public Building Commission’s Executive Director tried to protect Emanuel, but Thayer insisted that, “the mayor should be able to speak for himself instead of hiding behind his staff.”

Emanuel then made three points. He said, “Protesters’ First Amendment rights will be respected; they can apply for permits after the first of the year; and permits will be granted as appropriate.”

Thayer retorted, “Without permits for venues, the right to assemble is meaningless.”

Finally, Newland Smith of CANG8 and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship quoted statements from Episcopalian, Methodist, Catholic and Jewish scholars and leaders about the need for people of faith to challenge the hardship brought on humanity by the policies of the G8 wealthy nations; and to oppose the wars waged by the powerful nations of NATO.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #JoeIosbaker #RahmEmanuel #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarPovertyAgenda #CANG8

Joe Iosbaker of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty (CANG8) agenda said, “All the signs were pointing to McCormick Place.” He added, “Now Mayor Emanuel has one less excuse to refuse to grant us permits for the protest marches we are planning.”

CANG8 organizers are frustrated in their dealings with the city. “Mayor Emanuel pretty clearly wants the politicians, generals and bankers coming to Chicago to leave here without having heard from the 99% of the people who oppose them,” said Iosbaker.

The city blew off meetings they set up with the activists throughout the fall. A meeting finally happened in November, but the officials there would not meet the demands of the coalition: to publicly commit to provide permits for marches within sight and sound of the summit.

Iosbaker continued, “The U.S./NATO war in Afghanistan is continuing and expanding into attacks on Pakistan and the wealthy G8 countries are forcing changes on the workers of Europe, such as raising the retirement age, cutting social spending and privatizing jobs.” The Occupy Wall Street movement has led hundreds of thousands to protest these same kinds of attacks on the 99% in the U.S. in recent months.

“The meetings of the 1% will be inside the McCormick Place and the 99% will be marching there, with permits in hand,” promised Iosbaker.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #PeoplesStruggles #NATOG8Summit #MayorRahmEmmanuel #CANG8

Chicago, IL – Mayor Rahm Emanuel has again refused to guarantee the First Amendment right to protest in Chicago.

Organizers from the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) met with city officials on Nov. 16. They were there with a message that Pat Hunt of CANG8 said was simple, “that the city publicly commit to provide…permits that meet the internationally recognized standard for the right to assemble; that we be within sight and sound…” of the meeting of NATO and the G8 in May, 2012.

Hunt continued, insisting that “Police Superintendent McCarthy refrain from making threats of mass arrests.” She was referring to the many times since July that Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy has announced in the press that Chicago’s 13,000 police officers are being trained to repress dissent when the generals, bankers and heads of state convene here.

Representing the city were officials from the permit office of the Transportation Department and Commander Debra Kirby of the Chicago Police Department, the police department point person for the NATO/G8 summit.

Andy Thayer of CANG8 pointed out that the business group that is the host committee for the NATO/G8 summit has been given $1 million in taxpayer money to prepare for the event. The representatives of the city wouldn’t even promise the activists that they would be permitted to gather in the Loop during the week of May 15-22, when the summit occurs.

In June when the summits were announced, a group affiliated with CANG8, the United National Anti-War Coalition (UNAC), submitted a permit application for Daley Plaza, one of the few large venues for protest in the Loop, as Chicago’s downtown is known. Last week, MB Real Estate emailed Joe Iosbaker, Chicago spokesperson for UNAC that, “Unfortunately we are not approving any permits for the use of the plaza May 15th-22nd.”

Iosbaker responded that, “We have the right to march against NATO’s wars, such as Afghanistan and Libya, and against the G8 agenda of imposing poverty on working people from Greece to Chicago.”

Joining CANG8 were speakers from the National Lawyers Guild, SEIU Local 73, the American Friends Service Committee and Pat Hill of the African American Police League. All committed to keep the pressure on the city for permits and to organize to bring tens of thousands of Chicagoans and others from around the country to march on May 15 and 19.

Iosbaker reminded everyone gathered, “Our front banner will read: ‘Jobs, Housing, Healthcare, Education, Pensions, the Environment, Not War’. This is what the 99% are going to march for.”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #NATO #UNAC #G8 #NATOG8Summit #MayorRahmEmmanuel #CANG8 #UnitedNationalAntiWarCoalition

Chicago, IL – The Occupy Chicago movement and the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) came together 150 strong, Oct. 26, to defend the right to protest against war and corporate greed.

When the Chicago Police Department started mass arrests of people occupying Grant Park two weeks ago, cops remarked to those being arrested that this was practice for NATO and G8 in May 2012. After the second round of mass arrests in Chicago Oct. 22, the media were saying it, too.

Now Occupy Chicago has embraced the need to oppose NATO and the G8 when they come to town next year.

While Occupy Chicago has been dealing with over 300 arrests, CANG8 has faced verbal threats of mass arrests and FBI repression from Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, nine months before the NATO/G8 protests are to occur.

In response, on Oct. 26, the two groups together decided to occupy City Hall. The raucous crowd marched in at 2:00 p.m., picketing and chanting, “It’s called the First Amendment,” and “What do we want? Permits! When do want them? Now!”

The first chant supported the demand that all charges be dropped against the more than 300 arrested in the past two weeks. The second chant refers to the demand raised by anti-war organizers since July for a guarantee of their first amendment right to assemble and march against the generals, bankers and heads of state when the NATO/G8 summit occurs, May 15-22, 2012. CANG8 delivered letters and attempted to meet with the city, meeting with silence from the mayor’s office. Then, repeated calls to city officials in charge of the permitting process were met with a run-around and then, with continued silence.

The occupiers moved to the 5th floor outside of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office. Andy Thayer, speaking for CANG8, explained that organizers expectations are “for permits to take marchers to within ‘sight and sound’ of the NATO/G8 summit.” The immediate demands are for the mayor to publicly commit to giving permits to march to the venue of the summit; for Police Superintendent McCarthy to cease making threatening statements against NATO/G8 protesters; and to respond to the protesters within two weeks.

“The ball is in Emanuel’s court,” said Thayer, challenging the city to break with the stigma of repression which has haunted Chicago since the violent police attack on anti-war students during the Democratic Convention in 1968.

Joe Iosbaker of CANG8, and an anti-war activist whose home was raided by the FBI last year, spoke about breaking news that Northwestern University Law School was moving its graduation earlier by a week in May at the direction of the FBI and Chicago Police. Using the call and response known as “the people’s mic,” or “human microphone,” he said, “We all know the FBI lies. They are telling the law school to be afraid of us. I know personally that the FBI lies, because they raided my home last year based on lies.”

The protesters held the first and then the fifth floors for about one hour before ending their occupation, promising to return in two weeks if Emanuel doesn’t meet the demands.

“The G8 and the NATO military alliance are two of the institutions which bear some of the greatest responsibility for the wars and economic violence traumatizing millions of people around the world,” said Pat Hunt of CANG8. “Previous meetings of NATO and G8 in other cities have seen massive violations of civil rights by police, resulting in millions of dollars of successful lawsuits against the host city governments. As such, the city should forthrightly commit to upholding the First Amendment rights of protesters and rein in the verbal threats coming from police brass.”

“In addition to dropping the charges against Occupy Chicago participants, we will also be demanding that the city allow a permanent First Amendment encampment for the Occupy movement, just as many other major cities now do.”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago #MayorRahmEmmanuel #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarPovertyAgenda #CANG8