Teachers part of massive march against NATO, militarism
“Whereas military budgets and expenditures have taken money from education, social services, healthcare and other needed programs causing hardship to the American people and causing a loss of jobs; Therefore be it resolved that this body goes on record as expressing its opposition to the NATO summit being held in Chicago, May 2012.”
More than 10,000 protested the NATO summit, marching down Michigan Ave. in Chicago towards McCormick Place, where the leaders of NATO, including President Barack Obama, were meeting in secret behind phalanxes of police and other security, and in a Chicago that had, for many been turned into a police state by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Substance photo by Sarah Chambers.(-An excerpt from the Chicago Teachers Union’s Resolution Against the 2012 NATO Summit.)
A sea of multicolored shirts scattered around the Petrillo park: red CTU shirts, black and red CORE, green AFSCME, red NNU, white “Support Carlos Montes," black “Anti-conviction shirts,” and many more from all around the world.
After a brief concert with Rebel Dias, the speakers began. “No NATO, no war, peace and justice is what we’re for,” the crowd chanted with Zoe Sigman, whose house was raided by the police a few days before NATO. Zoe was one of over 40 speakers from various organizations that spoke including Jesse Sharkey from the Chicago Teachers Union.
Kim Bowsky and other teachers hoisted and carried the CORE banner as part of the union contingent during the massive May 20 march against NATO. Substance photo by Sarah Chambers.By the last 10 speakers, the crowd grew restless and started to line up on the streets, many lined up with their organizations or political parties. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and CORE marched in a labor contingent with the National Nurses Union (NNU), National Organization of Legal Service Workers (NOLSW), American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and other unions. In the labor contingent, the CTU made up the biggest union local with around 30 CTU members in red, marching together behind the sign, “Jobs Not War, Occupy Labor.”
The 10,000 person march was led by around 40 Iraq Veterans Against the War chanting, “N-A-T-O, we don’t kill for you no more. N-A-T-O, we don’t work for you no more.” Also, marching with the veterans were a group of women holding the Afghan flag from Afghans for Peace. The Afghani women and the veterans kept spirits high singing together songs promoting peace. Midway through the march, Jesse Jackson joined the front of the march and joined along in the chants of the people.
Even with the sweltering heat of 87 degree weather, activists from around the world marched for miles alongside one another from Jackson and Columbus to 23rd and Michigan. The march came to a halt only blocks away from the NATO summit, where Barack Obama and the heads of 28 countries were meeting to plan the wars of the world. Crowds were met by a three-row wall of police in riot gear, preventing the march from moving any closer to the summit. Being a pre-planned permitted rally, the police officers led the Iraq veterans to the stage.
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) members (rear) stood in formation prior to returning their medals during the protest against the NATO summit in Chicago on May 20, 2012. Substance photo by Sarah Chambers.An Iraq veteran spoke of the atrocities of war and how, “18 vets commit suicide each day,” due to the terrible conditions.
Following the Iraq veteran was a woman in Afghans for Peace who cried out to the war makers of NATO, “For what you’ve done to my country, I’m enraged. For what you’ve done to my people, I’m disgusted.”
A mother further described her disgust of the wars with her personal account of her son’s attempted suicide in Iraq. After his suicide attempt, he was returned to the United States, only to hang himself in the barracks room. After he died, “The Department of Defense said my son was killed in action and said that I had no comment for the press.” She was never asked for a comment and she was grateful to tell her story to the hundreds of press at the NATO protest today.
The Occupy Labor banner led the union contingent during the May 20 march against NATO in downtown Chicago. Substance photo by Sarah Chambers.The press moved in towards the stage as the height of the rally began, the returning of the Iraq veteran medals. One by one, they came to the mic and explained their reasons for returning the medals given to them during war.
“We no longer stand for their lies or failed policies!” one veteran shouted towards the crowd.
“If I want to continue to live with integrity, I must get rid of these (medals),” Erica Sloane shared with the crowd.
With every emotional speech, the crowd cheered in support and chanted their counter-vision to NATO, “Money for healthcare, money for books, not for wars.” With NATO spending $1.6 trillion in 2010 on military and war expenses and over 500 billion coming from the US alone, this money could cover libraries for all of our schools and enough teachers to cover small class sizes across the country. Walking around the march with my CTU shirt on, I received many shouts of support. Multiple activists from other unions yelled out, “I’ll be marching with you all on the picket line!” The support from activists and other unionists for the funding of public schools and support for CTU’s fight was evident throughout the whole march.
Even a couple police officers looked at our union shirts and nodded their heads in support. One police office said, “Hey, aren’t we supposed to see you all on Wednesday?” I responded with, “Yes, you will. You’ll see thousands of us.”
Comments:
By: Rod Estvan
crowd estimate
I was near the lead of the march with two disabled vets. A reasonable estimate of the march was closer to 5,000 than 10,000. The media estimates of around 2,300 were clearly too low and I think purposely so.
The international media present at the march I thought had a better focus on the actual subject of the demonstration which is the expense and pointlessness of NATO with the collapse of the Warsaw Pact alliance. I came away very critical of the decision of the march organizers' to effectively to allow all of us to be driven into what was a cage at the end of the march. If there had been 10,000 people it would have been impossible.
The Block as expected forced their way towards the front of the march with easily over 200 in their formation. The march marshals offered no resistance to the Block's move towards the front of the march and the Block showed limited restraint by allowing the the vets to speak and return
their medals.
The police did allow people to leave by going west but many people had to jump security fences to do so. In no way could this demonstration be called massive, it was very close to the size of Friday's nurse's rally.
There is simply no question that several largely peaceful demonstrations held in Chicago at the start of the Iraq invasion were larger. But because of the media focus of the CPD and State Police riot squads' confrontation with the Block the pro-NATO hype was effectively drowned out and that was in my opinion a good thing for which the Block combined with some organizers from the Occupy movements deserve some credit for.
Rod Estvan
By: Kati Gilson
comments
Outstanding job Sarah! You got it in great detail and accuracy. I know I was there too!