Rituals of Resistance

Day of Resistance didn't quite bring the city to its knees
By Sergio Barreto - 3/23/08

When Chicago-area activists gathered last fall to start planning a response to the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, there was some debate as to whether holding another conventional street protest would be worthwhile; many voices called for a creative, even radical approach.

Eventually, Chicago's 5th Year Anti-War Coalition settled on a two-pronged strategy. The now-traditional mass march on Michigan Avenue was scheduled for March 19, while March 20 was designated as a "Day of Resistance" with multiple actions around town. The idea was to provide a city-sanctioned outlet for anyone to demonstrate safely, while activists wishing to push the envelope would be free to band together and organize autonomous actions that could involve a degree of civil disobedience and risk of arrest.

On March 13, representatives from the affinity groups organizing Day of Resistance actions gathered to discuss their plans to ensure that they wouldn't step on each other's toes. Secrecy was paramount on everyone's minds in order to hinder preemptive police action, but it was up to each group to decide whether or not to publicize their plans to progressive or mainstream media.

But not everyone who had something up their sleeve showed up to the meeting, so when March 20 dawned the first action of the day was entirely expected. An outfit calling itself Jefferson Park Anarchist Brigade unfurled a banner saying "Together we can end this war" on an I-94 Expressway overpass in the far Northwest Side at 5 a.m.

Jefferson park banner
Posted anonymously on Indymedia

The banner "remained up until 8 a.m., when some anonymous party-pooper took it down," according to an Indymedia posting.

Two hours later, four activists unfurled a banner saying "We Heard you Malachi" at the Flame of the Millennium statue off of I-90 — the site where Malachi Ritscher set himself aflame on Nov. 3, 2006.

By Kevin Clark/ISM - Chicago

The highly visible a.m. rush hour action was scheduled for the time of day when Ritscher committed self-immolation. After about 10 minutes at the site, the participants dispersed when traffic police arrived.

A few minutes later a "Boeing = War Profiteer" banner was strung across Washington Street by the bridge next to Boeing headquarters. Soon there were about 20 people drumming, flyering, chanting, holding signs and another banner directly in front of Boeing as well as across the street. The action was organized by Catholic Worker, and the original plan called for varying degrees of risk, with the possibility of a die-in in the building lobby or on the bridge. The participants eventually decided to keep it a green (non-arrestable) action.

Civil disobedience actions have been held in the lobby previously, but this would have been difficult to pull off on Thursday — there was a significant presence of Chicago Police and private security officers, including one who handled a German Shepherd that would occasionally make itself noticed with fierce barking. There was also a police helicopter hovering overheard, none of which should be surprising despite the nonviolent nature of the action; the Daley administration worked hard to lure the corporate giant to Chicago and has been proactive about shielding it from protesters.

Meanwhile back on the Northwest Side, four members of Christian Peacemaker Teams and Voices for Creative Nonviolence finally gave the police something to do. Gerald Paoli, John Volkening, Rev. Dan Dale and Sarah Shirk chained themselves to the door of Rep. Rahm Emanuel's (D-5th District) office. But the police response was excessive, to say the least; 15 patrol cars, an unmarked vehicle and a squadrol quickly appeared on the scene. They obstructed vehicular and pedestrian traffic on Irving Park Road for about half an hour until someone came along with a bolt cutter. The protesters were then peacefully arrested.

And while a few dozen officers were congregating by Emanuel's office, the most audacious action of the day was underway on the city's busiest thoroughfare. According to one of the participants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, about 25 people walked to Lake Shore Drive carrying objects such as milk cartons, trash bags and even a bike rack; they came in small groups to avoid drawing attention.

When the light near the "S" Curve went red they blockaded the northbound lanes with the objects and their bodies and unfurled a banner, according to the source, who wouldn't say what was on the banner. Traffic slowed but was not completely halted. The blockade ended in about 5 minutes when the group heard police sirens and took off — leaving the objects on the road, inconveniencing motorists.

And what, exactly, was the goal of the action? "I guess we wanted to see how eager they were to continue driving," said the source. "And to call attention to the banner." As the group walked away from the scene it became obvious that the eagerness to drive was high; some people were trying to maneuver around the objects, while others were walking out of their vehicles and throwing the objects over the wall separating the road from the beach, according to the source. It appears that what the action ultimately accomplished was some serious littering.

The Boeing action was still underway, with high visibility and many drivers honking and giving peace signs in support. At one point a passerby ripped into a Catholic Worker demonstrator.

"They should drop you," he said, wagging his index finger.

"What?"

"They should drop you on Iraq."

"But why?"

"Because you're dealing with terrorists. You're negotiating with terrorists." A policeman quickly interceded and sent the heckler on his way.

Around 9 a.m. a charter bus driving down Washington hit the anti-Boeing banner, causing in to hang mid-air. A Metropolitan Transit Authority worker on crossing guard duty quickly grabbed a hanging cord, which a policeman then tied around a lamppost, conveniently keeping the banner from being hoisted anew. Nevertheless, the event went on until most of the participants headed to Federal Plaza later in the morning for a Voices for Creative Nonviolence action.

CodePINK had intended to do a creative action on several trains during rush hour; someone would talk into a cel phone about the fifth anniversary of the war, and other group members would start crying. Alas, not enough people showed up, so the group headed to glitzy Michigan Avenue for its second planned action around 10:30 a.m.

CodePINK joins in on the fun
By Sergio Barreto

They held a banner, chanted, and passed out flyers on the financial cost of the Iraq war. All of this was done next to the Chicago Tribune building and in plain sight of Tribune-owned WGN Radio studios, so they got interviewed by WGN' Wes Bleed — one of the few corporate media hits of the day. The CodePINKers stuck around for about an hour, then headed to Federal Plaza, where Voices was holding an action with various degrees of risk.

The Voices event started out on the mild side. Several activists held a banner calling for an end to war funding while others sang tunes such as "Don't Buy Me War." A penny poll on what people would like to see their tax dollars spent was carried out; education won, followed by healthcare. On one end of the Plaza, members of Food Not Bombs added some subliminal messaging as they handed out goodies.

College students were also in action at other parts of town. A Columbia College group had targeted a military recruitment center strategically located in the city's largest dorm. The demonstration started around 8 a.m. with a small march to the recruitment station and readings from the book Poems from Guantanamo. The students didn't enter the facility or disrupt recruitment activities, but police quickly showed up and told them to move.

Police wagon at the ready
By Sergio Barreto

"They told us they are allowed to move us anywhere within sight and sound of the object of our protest," said a young woman who identified herself as Lili from the new anarchist group Wolves in the Park. "When we told them that wasn't right they asked, 'Are you refusing to leave?'" Fearing arrest, the students packed it up. "So they put us next to this lovely parking lot."

The police-mandated protest location
By Sergio Barreto

Undeterred, the students continued to pass out flyers; two of them worked on a painting they said was intended to symbolize peace and togetherness.

About a mile away, University of Illinois at Chicago students had done banner drops at three campus buildings throughout the morning. A speak-out was held at the UIC quad at noon, but the turnout was paltry — less than 20 students from UIC and other schools showed up, most of them affiliated with Campus Antiwar Network.

At 12:30 p.m. some of the students marched to a laboratory that is engaged in research on missile systems for military contractor Raytheon. A Univision cameraman actually showed up to document the banner drop and rally that followed.

By Sergio Barreto

"The university is trying to renew contract for this research and it's under pressure because of us," said Sussan Navabi of Students for a Democratic Society. "Last time we came out here [UIC administrators] were pretty upset that we were bringing to light their complicity with the war." Joe Iosbaker, the adviser for the university's SDS chapter, said an unidentified man who walked by the rally told him that the contract would not be renewed due to student protests; Iosbaker is trying to verify whether that is true.

At 1:30 p.m. the Voices action at Federal Plaza entered the civil disobedience stage. Seven people, including Kathy Kelly and CodePINK's Pat Hunt, entered the Kluczynski Federal Building and requested a meeting with Sen. Dick Durbin. The meeting was unsurprisingly denied, so they unfurled a banner and started to chant. Then they kneeled down and waited to be arrested.

Outside the building, some activists watched while others banged on drums; a security worker walked around taking photos of the civil disobedience and the observers outside. Another security staffer temporarily locked the revolving door from which the protesters entered. "We can't get into the building because you people think you have to protest," shouted a woman distressed by having to walk around the building to another entrance.

After about 15 minutes the protesters were finally handcuffed and led to the elevators. "The Chicago police wanted to charge us with two or three offenses and take us to a lockup, but the Federal Building police decided to charge us with 'Conformity with signs and directions,'" said Hunt. "They searched us, charged us, and let us out on our own recognizance."

The other protesters had done civil disobedience before, but this was Hunt's first arrest. "I was not sure what to expect," she said. "I admit that I was a bit nervous at first and was very grateful for my fellow activists who helped eased my concerns. The police were polite and it seemed like they were going out of their way to be civil, almost 'killing us with kindness.'"

At 2 p.m. a group that holds vigils every Sunday outside the Chicago Art Institute went into action at its usual spot. A Segway-bound police officer hounded the group; Art Institute security personnel ordered them to move some of their signage. Despite the hassles, they got plenty of honks in support. Chris Fogarty, a columnist for the Irish American News, went back and forth across the street holding an impeachment sign every time the light went green.

"Who are they impeaching?" asked an older lady in a fur coat waiting to cross the street.

"Bush," I responded.

"Oh, that's not worth it," she said. "He's almost out of there."

"He can still do a lot of damage in 10 months," said a lady friend of hers.

"Oh yes," she said, shaking her head vigorously. "I don't like him at all."

The good vibe was temporarily squashed when Fogarty was arrested for refusing to stop crossing the street with his sign, but reinforcements were quickly on the way. A second group of Columbia College students happened to be giving a waterboarding demonstration outside their school; after a while they serendipitously moved their act to the sidewalk in front of the Art Institute.

Waterboarding, anyone?
Posted anonymously on Indymedia

The final action of the day started at 3:30 p.m. and lasted for about half an hour. Five members of Albany Park, North Park, Mayfair Neighbors for Peace and Justice demonstrated in front of Rep. Rahm Emanuel's office. There was no civil disobedience, just peace signs and a coffin representing Iraq war dead. The door to the office was locked — this time from the inside.

Timely reminder
By Sergio Barreto

A permitted "convergence" was scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Federal Plaza; the idea was for activists to come together and assess the day's activities. Indymedia and Labor Beat had pooled resources together to edit videos shot throughout the day, and a big screen and projector were set up on the Plaza. But the ambitious plan fizzled; it was too bright for video projection outdoors, the footage arrived late, and ultimately it didn't matter because only about a 100 people showed up.

Maybe that was because the weather had turned frigid; or maybe the anti-war contingent just didn't have enough stamina for nearly 24 hours of sustained action, starting with the permitted rally and march the day before. Whatever the reason, the event ended up as a huddle of most of the organizers and activists that form the core of Chicago's direct action community.

Andy Thayer, who helped organize the convergence but had nothing to do with the Day of Resistance because he couldn't afford any more legal trouble, saw the cup as half full. "It was an experiment," he said. "The whole day was an experiment. People were getting their feet wet."

©2008 Sergio Barreto. All rights reserved.