One moment demonstrators were singing, chanting and peaceful, many were talking to police who were formed in a tight formation in front of us. The next moment, tear gas canisters arced into the demonstrators. One hit me in the shoulder. That was the signal for police to attack, and they waded into us, batons flailing. Hours of bloody mayhem followed. I was unconscious for most of it. That was Grant Park in 1968, and I’m pleased that it was not repeated last night.
About 130 protesters have been arrested at an Occupy Chicago demonstration after they erected tents and refused to leave a park at its closing time, police said.
The breakup of the protest in Grant Park, next to Lake Michigan, was the second mass arrest of demonstrators from Occupy Chicago in the past week. Last weekend, about 175 protesters were arrested.
The protesters were charged with violating a city ordinance and most were released after agreeing to appear in court, Chicago police said.
Grant Park, the site of major anti-war protests during the Democratic convention in 1968, is closed after 11pm… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <The Guardian>
Well, I tried to tell Chicago not to elect Rahmbo. Next he’ll arrest 150 for not having their shirt tails tucked in.
21 Responses to “Arrests in Chicago’s Grant Park”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
The gov’t officials will only succeed in tying up the court systems and bringing more attention to the cause.
Good thought!!
I agree with Patty! The more rambunctious, the cops and the more unreasonable, the elected officials, the bigger the public outcry over these injustices. In this case, tying up the courts is a good thing!
In fact, one strategy some demonstrators are using is to demand a jury trial upon arrest. That gives the authorities a choice to drop charges or clog the courts. We did the same in Chicago 1968. Only seven high profile leaders were actually tried. Fortunately for me, I just missed the cut. They knew i was an organizer, but I was not high profile.
I particularly enjoyed these comparisons between Teabaggers and OWS folks:
Excellent comparison! Thanks
You KNOW I have stolen that for future reference. 🙂
At one of the Townhall meetings that was disrupted, the one Rep. Steve Cohen was trying to have on health care reform. One of the security guards hollered, “Watch that man! He has an oxygen bottle!” (referring to one of the Tea Party activists that was doing most of the shouting.)
It wasn’t me! 😉
Sorry Tom, but I see absolutely nothing in this article to connect the arrests with mayor Rahm. And as a resident of Chicago I have to say that so far he is doing a good job of cleaning up the years of mess left by the Daleys.
Charles, correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that the police in Chicago answer to the Mayor. I can see how, after the Daleys, even Machiavelli would look good.
Tom, the police do ultimately answer to the mayor, but so far I have seen nothing to indicate that an order to arrest protestors came from the mayors office.
You are in a better position to know that than I. What has he done to stop the arrests?
Isn’t that the idea, to bring more attention to the cause?
If you practice civil disobedience, then getting arrested is part of that kind of movement.
Since Obama practices the same kind of corporate favoritism that Republicans are famous for, who will these protesters support and vote for on election day?
Of course it is, and part of the way to bring attention to the cause is to protest the arrests.
I don’t see what false equivalence has to do with this topic. As problematic as Obama is, there is no comparison with the best the Republicans can offer.
Obama’s decisions that help corporate agenda can stand on their own, no comparison needed. The fact that Republicans are much worse, does not eliminate the question of this groups commitment to their principles. The question was off topic, sorry.
I agree. I am very disappointed in many of Obama’s decisions, but over the last three years, I have seen many dozens of progressive measures proposed by Democrats and blocked by Republicans, helped by a small handful of DINOs. I would love to see the two party stranglehold broken, but that needs to be built from the local level up. For now Republicans and Democrats are the only two choices that can win.
That’s OK. There is an Open Thread here every day for “off topic” items.
I think it’s silly & a waste of tax payer’s money to clog the courts with minor violations when I’m sure there are plenty of Actual Crimes in Chicago! But I live down-state & much too far from the fun!;) At least they’re not attacking the Occupiers with clubs & dogs..
Yvonne, the arrested demonstrators should demand jury trials to have just that effect.
I tend to agree with Yvonne on this one. I’d rather see the money to be spent on courts etc go to a homeless shelter or the like. The protesters are protesting for change for everyone. At least from what I have seen/read, there hasn’t been the violence this time that New York protesters experienced. It is the police that have the heavy hand. The amusing thing is that with all the police tactics etc, it onlt strengthens the movement.
Speaking of New York, there is no way that Bloomberg would let bygones be bygones. I haven’t heard of any action there recently. Is Bloomberg trying to wait the protesters out in hopes that the winter weather will send them packing? It just seems too eerily quiet.
So far in Vancouver, BC, one member of city council wants to close the protest as she says it’s an eyesore. The rain certainly doesn’t help. However, to my knowlwdge there have been no arrests although the police cost for the 1st week is estimated at $500,000 because they have 24 hour coverage. Last Saturday, environmentalist David Suzuki was at the protest. For those who don’t know of him, here is a link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Suzuki
See my reply to Yvonne.
I think that’s exactly what he’s up to.
I’m glad to hear it.