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ANTI-WAR PROTESTORS OWN
CHICAGO
THURSDAY, MARCH
20,-MARCH 23, 2003
BY ATHER MASOOD
If there was any doubt on how most Chicagoans
feel about
Bush's
war, they
were laid to rest the weekend forever. From last
Thursday to this Sunday the
anti-war movement won the hearts and minds of
most people living in the city
of Chicago.
On Thursday March 20, as many as 4,000 marchers
took to the streets of
Chicago. The
media
LIED and made it seem there
were only 1,000 marchers. in
fact protestors broke up into two small groups
and blocked Lake Shore Drive
AND Michigan avenue from 5PM-9PM. How can there
be only 1,000 protestors if
BOTH sections of Chicago were blocked? Anyone who
has been to Chicago knows
this cannot be possible with only 1,000
protestors.
In any case on the Magnificent Mile traffic was
completely halted everywhere.
Taxis, employees working late, cars, buses, and
even police cars were
completely halted. Massive numbers of police were
seen in buses being hauled
to the protest hot spots. Forming half chains and
full chains, protestors
locked hands and blocked large streets full of
cars. BUT THAT WAS ONLY ON
MICHIGAN AVENUE.
Another major group of protestors, lead by former
death row inmates, clogged
up Lake shore drive leading into downtown. This
prompted the police to block
all entrances into Lake Shore Drive City wide.
The site was quite
breathtaking in that hundreds of cars were
blocked by hundreds of protestors.
The funny thing was that the police attacked
peace activists WHO WERE NOT
INVOLVED IN CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. Instead they
picked on those who were
protesting by themselves on the sidewalk. One
lady was pushed into a police
truck, while she was strolling along with her
child. In another incident,
some police officers became aggravated and
attacked the sound system which
was completely destroyed. In the end 800
protestors were arrested, MANY OF
WHOM WERE GULF WAR VETERANS, ACTIVISTS, AND
UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS. THERE ARE
STILL 7 PROTESTORS ARRESTED THAT WE DO NOT KNOW
ABOUT.
FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2003
In a massive show of protest High school children
opened the way for 15,000
protestors completely shutting down Downtown
Chicago causing immense
headaches for city planners from 5PM-9PM. This
rally was far more massive
because it COMPLETELY shut down all of downtown
Chicago, as opposed to just
Lake Shore Drive. The protest swelled in such
support that the police refused
to allow more to come into the streets with us.
There were a handful of
Pro-War activists who were COMPLETELY drowned out
by the peaceful chants of
the people.
The beauty of the night was the High School
students left class, walked out
of exams, and even brought teachers with them.
Lane Tech High, Von Stuben,
Dunbar, Senn, Gordon Tech, Whitney Young, Mather,
Senn, and other famous High
Schools were present. It is a shame that this
writer's high school was not
present. INSTEAD ROOSEVELT HIGH HAS BECOME KNOWN
FOR HARASSING AND
MISTREATING MUSLIM STUDENTS IN CLASSES. The whole
event was led by
African-American Christian Ministers who brought
Arab and Native-American
representatives who guided large numbers of
Muslims and others. In the front
of the march, protestors took turns locking hands
and presenting a solid wall
of support for journalists to see.
At various times police dropped Horse feces into
the roads that protestors
were using. IT DID NOT WORK. The massive anti-war
activists went from the
Federal Plaza on Lasalle and Jackson street,
towards Boeing inc, and finally
around the advertising agencies supporting the
war. 8 arrests were made. The
attempt by Mayor Daley to intimidate protestors
DID NOT work, as more came
Friday evening in support.
SATURDAY MARCH 22, 2003.
About 800 Pro-War activists were greeted by some
1-2,000 Anti-War members.
ONCE AGAIN the
media
made it seem as if there
were a sea of supporters for
war. This writer went to the area and found the
area only HALF FULL OF WAR
SUPPORTERS. The vast majority of Peace activists
filled the other half of the
area dumping into the streets around the Bush
supporters. The writer was
confronted on three occasions by Bush supporter
in an attempt to start a
fight. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THE PRO-BUSH TEAM
CANNOT TOLERATE DISSENT OF
OPINION.
When this writer approached a man and said we
should respect each others
opinion, he replied "F... you. You all should
die." Another claimed I was a
traitor. BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE IT IS CLEAR
PRO-WAR MONGERS CANNOT DEFEND
THEIR CAUSE LOGICALLY AND ARE RESORTING TO
VIOLENCE. Around 2PM Anti-war
activists began to march AROUND Pro-War people.
It showed how SMALL they were
in comparison to the Anti-war movement. THE
MEDIA
claimed there were 1,000
Pro-War supporters which was hardly the case.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER: HINDU BRAHMINS,
ZIONIST
JEWS,
SERBS
It should ALSO be known that one
Indian-Nationalist
organization,
Anti-Iraqi
Arab groups, a Serbian Nationalist organization
and
Pro-Israeli
supporters
were together. This, Despite that fact they could
not even bring
together 1,000 people. A few so- called "Muslims"
(Men and Women in
relationships with wealthy Americans) came and
spoke to support OUR war
against tyranny. It seems some naive Muslims,
Asians, and Arabs are being
used by their partners to display their "loyalty"
to the cause. WHO IS IN BED
WITH WHOM?
Sunday, March 23, 2003.
In an impressive display of solidarity with the
Muslim and Arab people,
Mexicans lined up in droves to call an end to the
war on Iraq. At least
600-1,000 (if not more) started to mass by the
arch in Pillsen on the South
Side of Chicago. There was ONE Pro-war person in
the sea of Anti-War
activists. Home to the port of entry for
Mexicans, the Pillsen area was
engulfed by Latin-American protestors against the
war. Numerous activists
from Bolivia, México, Puerto Rico, Venezuela,
Columbia, Ecuador, El-Salvador
denounced the war on Iraq. IT SHOULD BE KNOWN
SOME MEXICAN ACTIVISTS CAME ALL
THE WAY FROM MÉXICO TO TAKE PART IN THIS EVENT.
Speakers called on Muslims
and Arab to do the following:
1. Join hands against INS activities and make one
platform in common interest
with Spanish speaking peoples and Muslims
2. Create a plan to further use the Muslims and
Latinos/as to destabilize
Bush's plan in communal terms
3. End any friction between groups in terms of
economic opportunities
4. For Muslims to recognize the problems being
faced in the Spanish Speaking
world. Thus, drawing parallels with Iraq,
Venezuela, Brazil and
Lebanon,
Chiapas and
Afghanistan,
Saudi Arabian U.S. bases
and Viqeues U.S. bases.
After spending much time in this struggle, it is
nice to know Muslims are
FINALLY getting the point of the Struggle in
Latin America.
Starting from the Little Village Arch which is
directly from México,
supporters marched up, down and around the area
involving wholesale amounts
of people. The crowd is overwhelmingly Latino.
However, Muslims have massed
with the people along with African-American,
Progressive Caucasians, and
others.
INTIMIDATION TACTICS TAKING PLACE IN CHICAGO
The intelligence community has begun to
intimidate Muslims AND other peace
activists by visiting them at home. Please be
cautious and when this happens
tell others.
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2003-03-24 Mon 08:48ct