The Occupy Movement confronts the NATO Summit this weekend in Chicago
By louisehartmann
All eyes are on Chicago this weekend – where an annual NATO Summit is going up against the Occupy Movement. Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to attend this weekend’s marches and rallies, calling for peace and economic fairness. Chicago police have already spent more than a million dollars on riot gear and high-tech crowd dispersal technology like long-range acoustic devices to use against the peaceful Occupy demonstrators.
Already – in the lead up to this weekend’s actions – twenty people have been arrested – including some for protesting outside President Obama’s re-election headquarters on Monday. So keep an eye on Chicago where the big question is: Will First Amendment rights be honored – or will we see another violent crackdown by law enforcement against patriotic Americans?
Comments
#2
FYI Occupiers... In case you feel threatened by the police - Illinois is a "Stand Your Ground" state.
#3
I'll be watching the NATO protests closely and pray the Occupiers do not get brutalized. Rham Emmanuel should keep in mind that his actions will judged by the nation. If the worst happens and the Chicago PD does what it does best--bludgeons and bullies protesters--it will show the world the truth--that the "land of the free and home of the brave" is being suppressed by a militarized, agressive police state. I would be there in person but my arrest at an Occupy event in Nov. is still too fresh in mind. I an not recouped enough for another debacle with the INjustice system. My very best wishes to brave, commited people who will be marching.
#4
http://cantontruth.blogspot.com/2008/02/satanic-stars-on-republican-party.html
This is a link to a website with an explanation of why the GOP stars were turned upside down, in 2000, when GW Bush was first elected, who had been a member of the Skull and Bones secret satanic society.
#5
The cops will find a loophole...they ALWAYS do...THEY'RE the law!! Make up laws as you go along!!
#6
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!!!
#7
I received the following email on 5/18/12 from the Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee :
Help us spread the word about this weekend's NATO protests
Iraq Veterans Against the War and our Afghanistan Veterans Against the War committee is gearing up for this weekend's historic march on the NATO Summit in Chicago. We will be leading the Sunday march with our friends in Afghans for Peace to send a message to the world: no more resource wars, end the military occupation of Afghanistan, bring military dollars home to rebuild our communities, and acknowledge the humanity of those of us affected by war. At the end of the march we will symbolically turn in our medals to NATO reps.
Tweet and post on your Facebook page
Our planned protest against NATO is garnering a lot of coverage by mainstream and independent media alike. Would you take a moment to spread the word via Twitter, Facebook or email about these stories?
This link contains a short list of the interesting stories coming out about our planned action this weekend. Check them out and click on the Facebook and Twitter icons in the story to share with your friends and networks. You also can share the url with people you know via email.
Or you can choose from a story here:
- Wisconsin-based IVAW member, Steve Acheson, talks about why he is coming to Chicago to turn in his medals.
- IVAW Organizer, Aaron Hughes, talks with Democracy Now about why we are protesting NATO.
- Aaron Hughes talks with NPR about why we are protesting NATO.
- Military mom, Mary Kirkland, whose son committed suicide tells her son's story and why she is joining IVAW at the NATO summit protest.
- Greg Broseus, IVAW member, talks to Chicago CBS news reporter about why he is turning in his medals on Sunday.
- Greg Broseus talks to Chicago Tribune about his experience with PTSD and why he is turning in his medals.
Thanks for getting the word out.
In Solidarity,
Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee
Thanks!
Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity,
and welcomes your tax deductible contributions
P.O. Box 3565, New York, NY 10008.
All Rights Reserved.
To ensure delivery of IVAW emails please add webmaster@ivaw.org to your address book.
#8
I was in Chicago in 68 during the democratic convention. I was with a group called "Clean for Gene". That was mainly because the peach fuzz on our chins were still rather sparce. We were young then. We were concerned the military industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned us to beware were drafting every eligible male 18-24 and forcing us to go kill in the jungles of Viet Nam. Those under 21 were not even allowed to vote. We believe our courage in the streets of Chicago that summer did make a difference.
Not only the demonstrators were brutalized by the police. Clearly marked medics, clergy, nuns, seniors were clubbed mercilessly. The police used a watered down mustard gas sprayed from the back of garbage trucks, that is now banned, to douce americans. The police didn't stay on the streets. They went up into buildings knocking down doors beating people taking photos and destroying their cameras.
I was in a group not too far from Dick Gregory marching down this tunnel to the convention. We didn't get too far. My friend was beaten badly. Her breasts bruised from deliberate blows over and over. I have a slight dent on my skull that remains til today. I wear this as my badge of honor. Where would we be if it were not for the brave courage of our generation who stood up to fight against injustice? President Lincoln stated, " to remain silent when one should protest makes us cowards". Have we become a society of cowards?
I don't understand the media's reporting that there is no cohesive message coming from the occupiers? There is a message. This is what we want.
1. Healthcare is a right. One cannot enjoy liberty, freedom or other inalieable right without life. Without healthcare there is no life.
2.Affordable housng for all. Affordable home ownership for single income families.
3.We want a 4 day work week with a 3 day alternate shift paid a liveable wage. We want our lives back. Give the children their parents back.
4.Nationalize our water resources. Water is a human right.
5.Re-organize higher education to make it affordable for all. We do not need million dollar chancellors with their $200,000 avg. salaried support staff. Why do we allow politically appointed real estate developers to run our universities? Why do we allow million dollar football coaches and political appointees to milk off of our education system? Our universities have become retirement homes for former politicians to milk another pension. Students must take back their future by taking back control of higher education. End tenure after 10 years. End the shameless explotation of teaching assistants who provide the crux of learning for our students.
#9
Funny thing how citizens out protesting in order to call attention to social injustice such as unpunished white collar crime get targeted as if exercising their first amendment right is itself a crime. It would seem the "violent crackdown perpetrators," should be the ones facing charges related to use of excessive force to suppress the right to peacefully assemble, and petition the Government for a redress of grievances.....So what do I think should happen, call the cops...... on the cops!.....if a violent crackdown occurs!......file a complaint and try to have an arrest made, at least get the complaint on record..... what about lawsuits?????
In a true Democracy the last statement would actually mean something......and legal push back is worth a try..... if it fails it at least makes the point that we do in fact live in a oligarchical setting where a police state is needed for empowerment of a few individuals to carry out evil deeds such as looting hard working citizens retirements so they can set up 100 million dollar trust funds for their own offspring!....no stress for the few........it's a wonderful life..... at the expense of millions of hard working people.
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face it, freedom is dead, freedom of speech even deader. America the beautiful? Land of the free? Home of the brave? More like the land of coporate cowards and brainwashed minions. I really never thought I'd see a day that America actually moved backwards in time. It is written in the underlying of stuff like the questionares one needs to fill out to get a job these days. Example, I filled out an app for a minimum wage part time grunt minion job on line and there were three quite disturbing questions, all multiple choice and yes an answer is required!, that had to do with,
A. what my mom and dad might think of me now? uh, what if a person has no mom and dad?
B. Do i think poloticians are honest or dishonest. what the hell does this have to do with me being qualified for a grunt job working as a minion? tell mE!
C. what % of people do i think cheat on thier tax returns. The fact that i do tax prep for my real living?ethically? I should not have to answer.
And then the one i love the best that came about back in the 90s, that little clause one needs to read in respects to "employed at will".
Slavery lives well and good folks yes indeed it does!!!! occupy, occupy, occupy!!!
worse yet? all the $$$ the wife wnd i have sitting in the retirement account that i can't pull without penalty. pisser is if i could yank some of it i would. pay off the house and get the kid through college all without strees yet here i sit wondering if the GOP will tank the economy again and we lose another chunk of what little we have to the pigs and crooks of wall street....!!! WOW my head hurts! ARGHHHH.