As Above, So Below

Jail solidarity means waiting outside the holding area or prison with hot coffee, cheers, hugs and warm bodies for fellow protesters locked away. Jail support means bandaging our friends who were smashed to the concrete by the state with words and kindness, ministering the sunset-colored bruises, massaging away the aches from unnecessary and excessive uses of force. Jail solidarity means writing letters featuring silly stories and cartoons, sending reading material like science fiction, nonfiction, and art supplies like colored pencils and paper.

(Source: diatribemedia.com)

“This is no longer just about whether people like me are being treated equally. It’s about the deliberate targeting of independent press.”

According to Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Shields, 3,000 new helmets might not be enough. Because the old helmets are thinner, weaker and liquid can seep through them, Shields would like all of the city’s 9,500 patrol officers to have new equipment. He told the Sun-Times “Rioters known to attend NATO and G-8 meetings have been known to throw bags of urine and bags of feces at police. Chicago Police officers need a shield that can adapt to what is being thrown at them.”

To our knowledge, no protesters plan on bringing any kind of scatological materials to the demonstrations in May. Furthermore, while cursory searching found plenty of speculation, rumor and hyperbole about such instances, we have yet to find any actual hard evidence outside of commentary. To the contrary, a civil liberties advocate told an independent news website in December “This is part of a spectrum of information war strategies that the state uses to repress dissent.”

(Source: chicagoist.com)

This week, I had the fortune of sharing some time on Radio Free Ruin (by the always amazing http://eventualghost.com/) to talk about Occupy Chicago and the upcoming NATO/G8 demonstrations happening in May in Chicago. It’s a great podcast, and I’m honored to have been a part of a show filled with so many amazing things.

(Source: radiofreeruin.com)

capriciousyetconstant:

Chicago Principles

• Our solidarity will be based on respect for a political diversity within the struggle for social, economic and environmental justice. As individuals and groups, we may choose to engage in a diversity of tactics and plans of action but are committed to treating each other…

The settlement isn’t only a victory for the participants in the class action suit, it also affects future demonstrations. According to the People’s Law Office, the court opinion holds that the City cannot arrest peaceful demonstrators without warning, solely because they do not have a permit, and will apply to future demonstrations. Rachael Perrotta, a member of the class action suit and current participant in Occupy Chicago, said “The last time the CPD faced huge protests, they violated the constitutional rights of over 700 people. If the CPD has the right to deputize police officers from other cities during the NATO/G8 summits, as well as private security, how will law enforcement be held accountable?”

(Source: chicagoist.com)

It looks like the city may believe that a youth soccer tournament and dining spectacle will either distract people or put a more positive spin on the negativity swirling around the summits. Given the ramped up rhetoric surrounding the demonstrations from both sides however, one can assume the city has found a PR shield in these new events. When the protests outside the summits affect the city’s events related to youth or tourism showcases, officials then have the opportunity to find yet another thing demonstrators ruined.

While I’m hopeful that protesters will be able to use these events as outreach opportunities, I have a sneaking suspicion the city will be able to say “these people don’t care about Chicagoans, because they protested at a youth basketball tournament.” A crafty PR move maybe, but hopefully one that’s equally as transparent.

(Source: chicagoist.com)

The ordinance would increase the minimum fine for “resisting a police officer or aiding escape” from $25 to $200, with a maximum fine of $1,000. Parks, playgrounds and beaches would open at 6 a.m. instead of 4 a.m., but still close at 11 p.m. In addition, the ordinance would “clarify the Chicago Police Department’s ability to enter into agreements with the necessary law enforcement agencies to deputize law enforcement personnel,” and allow the Mayor or appointees to execute agreements with public and private entities for anything related to the summits.

Somehow, I get the feeling that this isn’t the only ordinance that will come out of the mayor’s office regarding NATO/G8 in the spring that will directly target and attempt to discourage protest.