NATO summit protest photos: Sunday, May 20
Photo Credits: (Chicago Tribune)
May 20th Chicago NATO protest. Numbers estimated at 10,000
An aerial view of the march against NATO going on right now in Chicago.
Today, I feel proud of this place. The crowd estimate is believed to be 10,000
(via occupiedstories)
Ironic —
The city may be praising Chicago police for a job well done after the NATO Summit, but the thank you stops there.
The Fraternal Order of Police recently filed a grievance against the city for its decision not to give officers compensation for working a sixth or seventh consecutive day during a single calendar week, despite it being in their contract, according to a post on the FOP’s website.
The post states: ”The wording of Section 20.3 of our contract could not be any more unambiguous. It states: An officer who is in pay status for six (6) or seven (7) consecutive days within the pay period Sunday through Saturday will be compensated at the rate of time-and-one-half for work performed on the sixth (6th) day and seventh (7th) day.”
This is the fourth grievance the FOP has filed since the Summit ended Monday, including a grievance against the city’s stance that officers could not request compensation for overtime worked during the summit.
Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Chicago-Police-Fight-For-NATO-Summit-Compensation-154160925.html#ixzz1vvY0qKv4
International Uprising Pushes Onward
The global working class is continuing to feed off of one another’s momentum to endure the wave of international protest. Momentous protests have propelled international social movements to continue the plight for human rights, educational opportunities and for an end to all wars.
The historical significance of the surge of political protests throughout the world is immense. In times of upheaval, we have seen great social and political changes during the aftermath. This progress is not because of any given political party in office at that time, but because of the people in the streets demanding a change. The international working class is no longer putting up with corrupt capitalist agendas, environmental degradation, crashing economies or skyrocketing poverty.
As the mainstream media remains nearly silent, these activist communities must not be ignored, and their causes must be recognizd as one world struggle.
The May Day protests on May 1 gave a fresh spqark to the spring offensive across the world. These are the events that marked the international surge of resistance in the past few weeks:
- G. Razo
(via occupiedstories)
The Red Cross has stated that they are being directed to set up shelters in Milwaukee in the event of a ‘mass-exodus’ or mass evacuation from Chicago during the NATO summit at the end of the month, due to ‘possible unrest and violence’.
A spokesperson from the Red Cross say’s the evacuation plan came from Chicago City officials and the Secret Service.
This news comes after plans to set up a “Militarized Red Zone” in the downtown Chicago loop area 3 weeks in advance of the NATO summit.
Please also read this article, which
Please read this Chicago Tribune article, about the perspective that the security concerns are being over blown by the federal government as a way to intimidate protesters to stay home.
Also good reading on the subject comes from the Pan-African News Wire:
http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/2012/04/local-nato-hosts-red-faced-over-zone.html
Andy Thayer, a spokesman for the Coalition Against NATO-G-8, accused the federal government of creating the Red Zone to send a “message of intimidation” to protesters expected to descend on Chicago for the summit.
“If security measures are necessary, there are ways to go about it rather than getting hyper-militarized in a very visible way. It does nothing to stop any violence, but it does send a message of intimidation. This is a political show. It’s not about security.”
Chicago city officials comment on the “Militarized Red Zone” being set up in their city 3 weeks in advance of the NATO summit.
When asked if City Officials were blind sided by the Fed’s move, the Mayor’s office insists that it was a “security decision they were not involved in”.
Andy Thayer, a spokesman for the Coalition Against NATO-G-8, accused the federal government of creating the Red Zone to send a “message of intimidation” to protesters expected to descend on Chicago for the summit.
“It’s reminiscent of what happened prior to the Trans-Atlantic Business Dialogue, when the city got all Rambo-ed up as a way of scaring people from exercising their First Amendment rights,” Thayer said.
“If security measures are necessary, there are ways to go about it rather than getting hyper-militarized in a very visible way. It does nothing to stop any violence, but it does send a message of intimidation. This is a political show. It’s not about security.”
Despite the unsettling image of uniformed federal agents on the streets of Chicago, Thayer said his message to protesters is the same as it was after Mayor Rahm Emanuel rammed through his “sit-down-and-shut-up” ordinance to reign in the demonstrators.
“Don’t allow the city or the feds to intimidate you from exercising your freedom. It’s your right to be on the streets of Chicago on May 20,” Thayer said.
In fact, Thayer said it’s all the more reason to protest, adding, “If people are resentful of the militarization of our streets, just think how people in 130 countries around the world feel about U.S. troops in their countries.”
