Chicago, IL – Protesters here marched to the headquarters of Boeing Corporation on Oct. 7 to mark the 11th anniversary of the war on Afghanistan. Over 100 people joined the protest to demand that the U.S. end the war now.

Malik Mujahid of the Muslim Peace Coalition spoke of the senseless bloodshed in Afghanistan, and about how the war is spreading across the border into his homeland, Pakistan. “Is the U.S. strategy winning?” he asked, which brought forth a chorus of “No!” from the crowd gathered in the plaza in front of the Tribune Tower, offices of the Chicago Tribune. The coalition chose this location for the start of the protest to criticize the mainstream media for ignoring the Afghan War in this election season.

Hatem Abudayyeh, one of the 23 Midwest activists facing grand jury investigation, reminded the protesters that the Palestinian community and its supporters are being threatened with repression “To justify and build support for a failed U.S. foreign policy and to build support for unlimited U.S. aid to Israel, our government needs to put a local face on the enemy abroad, and today that face is Palestinian and Arab and Muslim. And they're attempting to even criminalize the broader anti-war movement as well.”

Xian Barrett, a member of the bargaining committee of the Chicago Teachers Union, told of their recent strike. “We need money for our schools, not for war,” he explained. The need in the Chicago Public Schools is desperate, so much so that when the teachers were forced to walk the picket lines last month, “The children and their parents said, ‘Thank you for standing up for us.’”

Drone warfare: new U.S. military favorite

Members of Occupy Chicago organized a die-in with mock drones in the square. More than dozen people fell to the ground, portraying the casualties in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The action prepared people for the one and a half mile march to the headquarters of Boeing Corporation. The march raised chants like, “Boeing – shame on you! Children die because of you.”

As Pat Hunt of Chicago Area Peace Action would explain later, “We are here because Boeing is the second largest weapons manufacturer in the country, and while they don’t build the drones that are best known, their spy drones help the killing.” Hunt was referring to the General Atomics Reaper and Predator drones. Boeing’s subsidiary, Insitu, does make drones that deliver bombs, but they are not that popular with the U.S. military.

Obama headquarters, then Boeing

The marchers first stopped at the national headquarters of President Obama’s re-election campaign. In the anti-war movement, there is indignation toward Obama for continuing and intensifying the war in Afghanistan, launching the war on Libya, and threatening and intervening in Syria and Iran. In addition, while George W. Bush used drone strikes only 52 times in eight years, Obama has ordered 294. Some estimates place the total number of drone strikes even higher.

Chants intensified as they approached the Prudential Building where the campaign is housed, “Hey, Obama, We say no. The war in Afghanistan has got to go!” Kait McIntyre of Students for a Democratic Society delivered a statement of the march demands, including an end to the war in Afghanistan; No new wars, whether Syria, Iran, or the undeclared drone wars in Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia; Money for jobs, education and health care, not for war; and an end to FBI repression of anti-war activists.

The spirited march chanted all the way to the Chicago River on the west side of the Loop, Chicago’s downtown. Facing the large Boeing sign, Said Khan of the Pakistan Federation of America, read a message of support to the Pakistani and US marchers in Pakistan who were attempting to march to North Waziristan, the province that has been the target of most of the 300 or more drone strikes in Pakistan.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #HatemAbudayyeh #AfghanistanWar #OccupyChicago #BoeingCorporation #MuslimPeaceCoalition #PeaceAction #drones

Judge Donnelly’s order from today reads in part, “The City’s claim that citizen safety, park maintenance and park preservation constitute the substantial governmental interests that justifies closing the park seven hours nightly fails because the City routinely closes the park for fewer than seven hours nightly, making ad hoc exceptions to the Curfew for permitted groups.” The order continued, “Because it is undisputed that the City closes Grant Park longer than necessary to serve the government's interests, the Curfew is not narrowly tailored, in violation of the First Amendment. The Curfew also violates the Illinois Constitution which provides a more vigorous right to free assembly, embracing even non-expressive assemblies.”

“Judge Donnelly made the right decision by declaring the city's ordinance unconstitutional and by dismissing the remaining cases brought by the city against activists legitimately engaged in free speech,” said NLG attorney Sarah Gelsomino from the People's Law Office and one of the lawyers representing the charged activists. “Hopefully this sends a clear message to the city that they must better respect the First Amendment rights of protesters no matter what their message might be.”

Nearly a year ago, on Oct. 16 and 23, 2011, more than 300 Occupy Chicago activists were arrested for protesting in Grant Park and accused of violating the city's park curfew, which had been inconsistently imposed from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Most of the 300 protesters arrested have already accepted a deal with the city to resolve their cases for community service in lieu of a conviction. It's unclear whether these agreements will need to be revisited as a result of the ruling.

In his order, Judge Donnelly pointed out the city’s inconsistent enforcement by stating that, “While the City arrested everyone remaining in Grant Park during the Occupy Chicago rally, the City arrested no one at the Obama 2008 presidential election victory rally, even though the Obama rally was equally in violation of the Curfew. That violates Defendants’ right to equal protection because it treats similarly situated citizens differently.”

After supporting the rights of Occupy Chicago activists for months, the Chicago chapter of the NLG went on to provide legal support for the thousands who protested against the NATO summit in May.

#ChicagoIL #NationalLawyersGuild #OccupyChicago #InjusticeSystem

Chicago, IL – Activists from Occupy Chicago, the Chicago Committee Against Political Repression and Hammerhard Media met here, July 9, to discuss the police and FBI attacks on protests here and across the country.

The event featured Jen Waller and Tom Hintze of Occupy Wall Street, who organized a national speaking tour, called “Less Wall, More Street: From Mass Arrests of OWS to Mass Incarceration.” Their purpose is to foster solidarity for people like the NATO 5, victims of an undercover operation by the Chicago Police Department and a trumped up case by the state’s attorney. They also explained how oppressed Black and Latino communities, as well as Arabs and Muslims in the U.S., have been targeted by the state.

As Waller put it, repression “…is an everyday occurrence for people in this country who are criminalized because of their race, national origin, religion, or economic status, and targeted by law enforcement and the legal system.”

Waller and Hintze also updated the people on the case of the Cleveland 5, Occupy activists who had been infiltrated and entrapped by the FBI.

#ChicagoIL #PoliceRaid #politicalRepression #OccupyChicago #NATO5 #Cleveland5 #ChicagoCommitteeAgainstPoliticalRepression

Chicago, IL – Immigrant rights leaders here were arrested while blockading the doors of the building that houses the federal immigration court in the Chicago Loop, May 15. Occupy Chicago gathered with immigrant rights leaders and youth to protest the sharp increase in deportations. Speakers began the rally around noon, when suddenly the crowd doubled in size with the arrival of marchers from Centro Sin Fronteras and other immigrant rights groups. The Reverend Jose Landaverde and Mexican-American community leader Emma Lozano were both arrested after sitting in and blocking the entrance demanding justice.

During the sit in, Emma Lozano, surrounded by cops on one side and protesters on the other, said, “Many families are being divided by the immigration courts decisions. Moms and dads are being put in detention centers where they cannot work and support their families. Then they are deported and their children and spouses have to figure out how to reunite with them. It is time for justice! We have to take a stand against this broken system.”

Artemio Arreola, a leader of Chicago’s mega-marches in 2006, spoke at the rally saying, “We need equality, not more detention centers. There are well funded corporate lobbyists trying to get the state of Illinois to build a private, for profit detention center in Crete, Illinois, 30 miles outside Chicago. We have to stop this and put an end to deportations!”

Jorge Mujica called for, “an end to the increase in deportations that began with the economic downturn, but is continuing under President Obama. We are protesting here this week in unity with the big protests against NATO, against war and poverty. Instead of spending money on war, we want money spent on schools and mental health clinics that the City of Chicago is shutting down.”

During the long rally, a spirited group from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression gave interviews, distributed flyers and gathered petition signatures in solidarity with Los Angeles immigrant rights activist and Chicano leader Carlos Montes. The large poster of Carlos Montes was popular and many took photos of it. Many people had heard that the trial of Carlos Montes began that same day and some young people began calling the office of District Attorney Steve Cooley, demanding he, “Drop the charges now!”

The arrests ended the protests outside the immigration courts. Occupy Chicago and many Latino youth marched away down busy Canal Street, chanting and shouting, with the police chasing behind them. A Chicago police wagon soon roared after them with lights and sirens blaring, as the protesters disappeared from sight.

#ChicagoIL #immigrantRights #CarlosMontes #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression #OccupyChicago

Chicago, IL – Hundreds gathered from across the country for the People’s Summit, united in their opposition to the NATO/G8 agenda of war and poverty. Organized jointly by the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8) and Occupy Chicago, the People’s Summit included 40 workshops and four plenary sessions. More than 50 attended a workshop featuring three Chicago leaders of the CANG8, speaking on, “The Strategic Aim in Opposing NATO in Chicago.”

The program began with Joe Iosbaker, who is one of the anti-war and international solidarity activists raided by the FBI in September 2010. He talked about the gains already achieved by CANG8 organizers. “We busted up the joint meeting of NATO and the G8. Now the G8 will meet at Camp David. And we took on Mayor One Percent, Rahm Emmanuel, defeating the worst of his anti-protest ordinances.” Iosbaker said that to have a strategic approach, every campaign should win all that can be won, raise the consciousness of the people and build organizations that can carry forward the lessons learned in the course of struggle.

Iosbaker addressed the political repression of the 24 anti-war activists. “The coordinated raid on my house and the others was the biggest FBI operation in 40 years, with the biggest political grand jury since the 1960s.” He said the outpouring of support for himself and the other targeted activists was not expected by the FBI. “The FBI thought the anti-war movement would leap away from us like a hot stove.”

Throughout the People’s Summit, activists shared information about the case of Carlos Montes. Hundreds of people pledged to support Montes, by signing petitions and calling on Los Angeles prosecutor Steve Cooley to drop the charges against him.

Pat Hunt, of Chicago Area CODEPINK, described how Chicago activists received news that NATO would be meeting in their town during a meeting of Chicago’s Coalition Against Political Repression. Her remarks focused on the work of building the CANG8 coalition. “In a coalition you have a lot of people with a lot of agendas, but it’s worth it. You have a chance to bring about something meaningful and powerful, because so many voices are involved.”

Andy Thayer, of Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, addressed the role of the march planned by CANG8 organizers. He said the permitted march will make it possible for organizers “to get our message out and not have it marginalized. That is an important link in the chain.”

The People’s Summit closing panel included Suraia Sahar, of Afghans for Peace; Joe Lombardo, of United National Anti-War Coalition; Reiner Braun of the European Peace Movement and renowned journalist and political prisoner, Mumia Abu Jamal, whose remarks electrified the crowd.

With a week of action by Occupy Chicago and a massive permitted march on the first day of the NATO summit in Chicago and solidarity protests taking place across Europe, the world is sending a clear message to the NATO generals: “We say no to NATO/G8 war makers!”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #CarlosMontes #OccupyChicago #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarAndPovertyAgenda

Chicago, IL – About 3000 people marched here, May 1, to celebrate International Workers Day. The biggest contingents were from Occupy Chicago and the immigrant rights movement.

Andy Thayer and Joe Iosbaker of the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda both spoke during the rallies. Iosbaker said, “This is a great day, and another great day is coming on May 20, when we march on the war makers and tell them, ‘Get out of Afghanistan! Money for jobs, not for war!’”

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #internationalWorkersDay #OccupyChicago #ImmigrantRightsMovement

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

Chicago, IL – 1000 people took to the streets in an unpermitted march from the Chicago Board of Trade Building at Jackson and LaSalle and over to Grant Park for the April 7 Spring to Action by Occupy Chicago.

People chanted, “We are the 99%!” and “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” to passersby in Chicago’s downtown Loop.

At Grant Park, there were several workshops around the field, including direct action, political economy and gearing up for NATO’s arrival in Chicago.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at a workshop on jobs, housing, health and education. With his famous cadence, “Keep hope alive,” Jackson talked about the need for social services and jobs at home as opposed to war abroad. “On May 20, we will occupy for our future!” exclaimed Jackson, referring to the opening day of the NATO protest in Chicago. Jackson urged people to join the march organized by the Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda at noon that day.

#ChicagoIL #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago #NATOG8Summit

Chicago, IL – The White House announced today, March 5, that the G8 summit, scheduled for Chicago on May 19-20, will be moved to Camp David, although the NATO summit will still take place in Chicago.

Joe Iosbaker, an organizer of the protest stated, “We are going to march on the warmakers' summit. They are changing their plans, but we will not change our plan to oppose those who are waging wars abroad, while impoverishing us at home.”

Iosbaker urges activist to go all out in building for the protest, and said that plans for the protest might change based on NATO announcing a new time for their summit.

The Coalition Against NATO/G8 War & Poverty Agenda (CANG8) and Occupy Chicago issued the following statement:

The G8 moving to Camp David represents a major victory for the people of Chicago. The leaders of the 1% are moving because of the overwhelming resistance to the NATO/G8 war and poverty agenda in Chicago. Our city is filled with tens of thousands of people who are struggling to keep their heads above water, fighting against the effects of the economic crisis caused by the leaders who would have been gathering here. The communities of Chicago are fighting to save their schools, keep healthcare available, and to defend their jobs from cutbacks that are a hallmark of the governments of the G8.

The city has carried out a campaign to intimidate and vilify protesters, claiming that protests lead to violence. In fact, the main source of violence in the world today is the wars being waged by NATO and the US.

We will march on May 19 to deliver our message: Jobs, Housing, Healthcare, Education, Our Pensions, the Environment: Not War! We and tens of thousands will be in the streets that day for a family friendly rally and march, with cries so loud they will be heard in Camp David and across the globe. We will be in the streets that day to fight for our future, and speak out against the wars and their cutbacks that are designed to benefit the 1% at the expense of the 99% of the world.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #NATO #G8 #OccupyChicago #CoalitionAgainstNATOG8WarPovertyAgenda #NATOG8Summit2012

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 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

Chicago, IL – Registered nurses from across the U.S. today condemned Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel for his decision to arrest nurse volunteers, as well as peaceful protesters, in a late night crackdown, Oct. 22 at the Occupy Chicago protest.

National Nurses United is asking supporters to call Mayor Emmanuel’s office at 312-744-5000 and demand they immediately drop all charges against the nurses and other protesters and stop the harassment and arrests of the nurses and others peacefully exercising their free speech rights. Nurses will also picket the mayor’s office at 10 a.m. on Oct. 24 at City Hall at the LaSalle entrance.

Nurse leaders of National Nurses United who set up a nurses’ station to provide basic first aid to Chicago protesters – as NNU as done in five other cities across the U.S. – were among the some 130 people arrested by Chicago police. The police also tore down the first aid station and arrested scores of others who had peacefully assembled to support the station.

“Even in wartime, combatants respect the work of nurses and other first responders. Yet Mayor Emmanuel and Chicago seem to care as little about that tradition as they do in protecting the constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.” said NNU Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro. “These arrests are disgraceful and unconscionable and will not deter our nurses from continuing this mission, setting up the station again, and continuing to support the protests.”

Emmanuel has been perhaps the most aggressive mayor in the nation in repression of the occupy Wall Street movement, with mass arrests on at least two occasions now. The Chicago Tribune reported on Oct. 22 that city officials are trying to send a message to world leaders of being ‘tough’ on demonstrators in advance of upcoming meetings of G-8 and NATO leaders in May 2012.

#ChicagoIL #Labor #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago #NationalNursesUnited #MayorRahmEmmanuel

More than 2500 people gathered in downtown here, on the night of Saturday, Oct. 22. Trade unions again embraced the Occupy movement and committed to turn their members out. Young and old took to Jackson Avenue, taking the entire width of the street as they marched through downtown.

Once arriving in Grant Park, protest organizers stated that they would stay overnight. At 1:30 Sunday morning, Chicago police ordered the protesters leave, but they wouldn't. 130 people were arrested for being in the park after it closed. Many in the crowd stated that they were there and won't go away.

#ChicagoIL #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago

Chicago, IL – More than 4000 marched here tonight as Occupy Chicago moved from its occupation of La Salle Street (the banking center of the city) to Congress Plaza on the edge of Grant Park. Organizers intend this as a permanent home for the occupation.

Occupy Chicago was joined tonight by a contingent from Teamsters Local 705, as well as representatives who brought resolutions from the National Nurses United and the Chicago Teachers Union. SEIU Local 73 members were there and the local had helped get tents for the occupation.

The police have threatened to clear the park at 11:00 pm.

*Read more [Fight Back! coverage of Occupy Wall street](http://www.fightbacknews.org/news/special-coverage/occupy-wall-street) and follow [@fightbacknews](https://twitter.com/#!/fightbacknews) for live updates from #OccupyWallStreet protests around the country.*

#ChicagoIL #SEIULocal73 #ArmandoRobles #ChicagoTeachersUnion #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyChicago #OccupyTogether #TeamstersLocal705 #NationalNursesUnited

About 1500 people marched and rallied here, Oct. 8, to demand an end to U.S. wars and occupations. The protest coincided with the ten year anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. Chanting, “We are the 99%!” and “Occupy Chicago, troops home now!” the protest joined with Occupy Chicago.

#ChicagoIL #AntiwarMovement #AfghanistanWar #OccupyChicago #OccupyWallStreet

Chicago, IL – On Oct. 10, Chicago kicked off two large conventions, one for the Mortgage Bankers Association and the other for the Futures Options trading association – both groups that represent the rich who caused the latest recession. In the spirit of fighting back, Chicagoans, more than 7000 strong took to the streets and tied downtown up for four hours.

Starting at 4:00 p.m., five demonstrations stepped off from their starting points in Chicago. A coalition of unions and community groups – from homeless organizing to neighborhood associations under the umbrella of Take Back Chicago – mobilized to take the streets. They all headed towards one place to stop a banker’s wine and cheese event. All five street marches would end up on Monroe Avenue in front of the Art Institute, where 30 protesters sat in front of the doors until arrested.

“TIF money is tax money that is supposed to be used for neighborhoods that need help. Daley and now Emmanuel give TIF money to rich people when our schools face cuts, workers face layoffs and our city is suffering. We have had enough, we are gonna keep coming out until we get justice,” said one community activist.

Teachers came from Englewood, Steelworkers came from Gary, Indiana, homecare workers from Matteson, housing activists from Albany Park, musicians from Pilsen, janitors that clean downtown buildings -workers from across the Chicagoland area came out in large numbers.

People from Occupy Chicago joined the high-spirited street marches. The message was clear. People want jobs, homes and schools; banksters who broke the economy must be accountable for their deeds. Unlike the corporate media lies, the protesters had a very clear set of demands and had no problem telling their story.

“My neighborhood is full of houses where families used to live. The banks own them now. It ain’t right that these fat cats get away without paying taxes and my neighbors get thrown out of their house. That is why I am here” said Alma Johnson, a Chicago resident. “It is hard out here with too many with no job, nothing to look forward too. We have to do this, our lives depend on it.”

Actions will take place throughout the week in Chicago targeting banks and other corporate fat cats.

#ChicagoIL #OccupyWallStreet #MortgageBankersAssociation #FuturesOptionsTradingAssociation #OccupyChicago