Summer is near and the streets are alive with people. This past weekend, tens of thousands rebelled against injustice in both Montreal and Chicago.
In Chicago, tens of thousands rallied in the streets of Chicago A broad coalition of veterans, Afghans, students and unions protested against NATO and those who profit from war. Tens of thousands of people exercised their constitutional right to peaceably assemble though there were many instances of police violence.
(Photo from Alaina Buzas/Flickr.)
Here’s a roundup of some of the notable actions.
Iraq Vetarans Against the War and Afghans for Peace were the vanguard of a march on Sunday in Chicago, spearheading the NATO protests. Citing the ever-increasing rate of suicide, the dishonor from fighting in unjust wars and desire for a peaceful world, veterans symbolically back medals they won from battle. “The military taught me what integrity is. If I want to live with integrity I have to give this back,” said one veteran. Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran hit with a tear gas canister in Oakland also gave back his medals, reports Alison Kilkenny over at Truth-Out.
(Photo from J.A. Myerson.)
Here’s a video of the march:
- Excellent roundup of images from the Chicago Tribune.
- After driving away the NATO protests to go home, notable livestreamer and citizen journalist Tim Pool was pulled over at gunpoint after they left the protests. Video here.
- Livestream video of Sunday night’s jail support waiting for protestors to be released via OccupieChicago. A protestor discusses being arrested while meditating peacefully in the street.
- Excellent editorial explaining NATO by Pepe Escobar in Al Jazeera.
Ultimately, many of these marches culminate with cops beating the shit out of people. Keep in mind, folks, that we have a right to protest and peaceably assemble in this country. But we’ve seen in Egypt, Tunisia, New York City and now Chicago, police forces seem content on beating and arresting those who dare speak against power.
In Montreal, tens of thousands of students have been marching nightly, protesting against enormous budget cuts. Ominously, politicians just passed Bill 78, a broad gutting of civil liberties, which was hand-written on a piece of paper.
(Photo via Angus Johnson/ Student Activism)
Thousands of students have marched nightly for 100 consecutive days.
Video of student marches by Nic Owen.
(Photo from Alaina Buzas/Flickr)
