Chicago, IL – May 20, 2012 Police beat protesters for nearly an hour before giving the order to disperse. Nowhere for protester to go to escape the police kettle.
"This was not a clash between protesters and police. It was a clash between criminals and police, said CPD Superintendent McCarthy, "The news isn't what happened. The news is what did not happen."
At exactly 4 p.m. to the ominous sound of thunder beating drums of war militarized police, without prior warning from authorities began marching toward a crowd of journalist and protesters.
On April 13, Philly celebrated the release of the book Love and Struggle: My Life in SDS, the Weather Underground, and Beyond, by David Gilbert, who is a political prisoner in New York State. The event, at Goldilocks Gallery, featured speakers, a short video tribute to David and the book, and a showing of a quilt made by imprisoned community members at SCI-Chester.
It was a rare gathering of movement elders and young people who shared their passion, wisdom, and commitment. Check out the videos:
Ashanti Alston, former political prisoner
When joining the Black Liberation Army, the first task that we were assigned was to free political prisoners…. We had to be brave enough, and, I will say, crazy enough to do it. Harriet Tubman had to be crazy enough to do it. You cannot keep thinking about “I might get killed, I might die.” It is a time to act…. Even if you’re scared, you know it has to be done. And it don’t always have to be the grand action. It could be knocking on your next-door neighbor’s door. Or your coworkers, and starting that kind of conversation that helps move them from a space of indifference or apathy or fear, to one of the courage to begin to take back their lives.
—Ashanti Alston
Chicago- May 19, 2012 Occupy Chicago and other Occupiers held an Anti-capitalist March today. It started at 6:30 pm protesters met at a statue commemorating the international labor movement in Haymarket Square at Randolph and Desplaines on the Near West Side.
Thousands of police, state and federal authorities met protesters at the intersection of State and Washington and several other intersections as protesters made their way down state.
“State and Washington was nothing but blood and Billy clubs,” said a scared and tired protester after she broke away from the on slot.
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