Jul 9

Jul 9 500 Days

“And I have seen a friend of mine
Hang on the wire
Like some rag toy
Then in the heat the flies come down
And cover up the boy”

— Butcher's Tale, The Zombies, from Odessey and Oracle (1968)

Nobody does street theater better than the Ukrainians, particularly the Ukrainian women. Saturday marked the 500th day since the Russians invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Not surprisingly, Chicago’s Ukrainian community decided to use the occasion to callout Russian war crimes. Today, the women outdid their previous visual theaterics.

When I arrived in Jane Byrne Park, 75 Ukrainian women were gathered, most dressed in striking white dresses, some adorned with traditional Ukrainian embroidery. Positioned in front of the Chicago Water Tower was a long white scroll running down the steps, spilling out into the park. Written in red maroon lettering on the scroll were many of the war crimes that the Russians have allegedly committed since the start of the war. The list included: the Mariupol Theater airstrike that killed 600; beheadings and mutilations; the attack on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant; the torture and kidnapping of children; the rape of 80-year old women; the destruction of Ukrainian heritage sites; the killing of civilians; attacks on chemical plants, and unlawful detentions, among many other enumerated allegations. While I characterize these as “allegations,” I should note that the U.S. State Department has already proposed a war crimes tribunal, and a newly-formed tribunal—the International Center for Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine (ICPA)—has been convened in the Hague. Perhaps more telling, photojournalists have offered plenty of visual evidence, all captured at their personal peril.

Standing next to the scroll enumerating the crimes were the scales of justice, noticeably out of balance. One of the circular pans was suspended high above the pavement, while the other one rested on the asphalt. It held 30 or 40 parchment scrolls, each presumably containing an indictment for a particular crime. Eventually, Themis, the Greek Goddess of Justice, took her position in front of the scales. Nadiia Glavin did the honors, shrouded in white, including a white blindfold. She held a large sword, generally at 45-degrees to her body.

The Ukrainian women could have easily rested on their laurels with just these visuals, but they have a seemingly inexhaustible store of energy. Their leaders had scheduled several short speeches, including ones by Congressman Mike Quigley and Marta Farion, a resident of Chicago’s Ukrainian Village and a community leader.

Following the speeches, the now 125+ demonstrators headed to Millennium Park, but they did not walk in mass. Normally, the police block the intersection at Michigan and Chicago Avenues so all the demonstrators can walk together when they leave the park, but today there were just a few police present at the intersection. The Ukrainian women had divided themselves into groups of 20 or so. One group left Jane Byrne Park, crossing with the light, while everyone else held back.

Rather than heading directly to Millennium Park, the first group positioned themselves along Michigan Avenue, with their backs to the traffic and their signs facing the storefronts. Once these women were in position, the next group departed from the Jane Byrne Park, passing members of the first group as they moved into position further south on Michigan Avenue.

This process repeated itself several times. Eventually the “sentries” lined Michigan Avenue down to the DuSable Bridge—at least that was the objective Each sentry carried a sign that she held while stoically standing blindfolded in the afternoon heat.

Somewhere along the route, I realized I had photographed some demonstrators two or three times. I later found out that one group was leapfrogging another as they proceeded to Millennium Park. Apparently there was a shortage of sentries, although there were well over 200 participants by the time the march reached its final destination—Millennium Park.

Initially, I thought the sentries were in charge of positioning themselves, but the positioning was a little more involved. Several minders—also in white dresses—walked up and down Michigan Avenue. If two sentries were too close together or standing in front of a visual obstacle, one of the minders repositioned them. The minders also adjusted blindfolds and signs. Another indication of the effort that the Ukrainian women made to get the visuals just right.

As I walked, I listened as Sunday afternoon shoppers and dog walkers read some signs aloud. Several times I heard people repeat the word “genocide,” and then pause. The vast majority were seemingly sympathetic, but one guy ran past me screaming, “The U.S. is the biggest war criminal of them all.”

When I came to the bridge, I saw a number of Ukrainian men holding a large Ukrainian flag draped over the bridge railings, with boats carrying tourists and sunbathers passing beneath. Note to the organizers—this struck me as highly effective, but as I said to one of the Ukrainian photographers also trying to capture the spectacle, “You guys need to triple the size of that flag for maximum impact—It’s a big bridge.” He laughed.

Somehow I got ahead of the group, ending up in Millennium Park long before the vast majority of demonstrators arrived. That was when I learned about the sentry shortage.

There was one other snafu, but the Ukrainians, who had obtained a permit to demonstrate in Millennium Park, were not to blame. The demonstrators had to go through a security checkpoint before entering the park, which has proved to be an annoying bottleneck all summer, but particularly so today because the sunny weather brought hordes of people to the park.

Those in charge of security would do everyone a favor by providing a separate checkpoint for demonstrators. Others would gain entry much faster, and the demonstration would be shorter, thereby minimizing inconvenience to those out for Sunday fun. The situation brought Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant to mind, as in, “I am demonstrating against war, and you think I am not fit to enter a public park because I might be a gun-toting terrorist?”

Note to others who might choose Millennium Park for a demonstration: Do not bring flags mounted on poles. One of the Ukrainian leaders was required to discard his wooden pole. I had seen this before at last year’s NRA convention in Houston. The police disarmed members of the Proud Boys who were carrying large poles because the poles could be used as weapons against protesters advocating more stringent gun-control laws. Of course, this was Texas, so the police had no problems with the pistols strapped to the Proud Boy waists.

Once the Ukrainian demonstrators had passed the checkpoint, they headed to the large plaza in front of the Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (aka “The Bean”). It was obvious that the group had grown during the hour-long trip down Michigan Avenue.

As she had done at a prior demonstration, Liliia Popovych served as the “brigade commander,” with several others helping position the women in rows covered much of the plaza. The organizers left a strategic gap immediately in front of The Bean, where several demonstrators held a gigantic banner imprinted with today’s catchy slogan,, “Justice Done and Served: Special Tribunal for Russia!” It bore Themis’ image, with Nadiia Glavin, today’s Themis-incarnate, standing solemnly nearby.

The event concluded following the singing of the Ukrainian National Anthem and the obligatory shouts of “Slava Ukraini!”

But I was curious. Earlier in the day, I noticed what appeared to be a pop-up store located in what had been vacant space on the ground floor in the Wrigley Building north tower.

When I entered, I was greeted by a guide who proceeded to give me a 15-minute tour. The store offers Ukrainian products, including clothing, jewelry, packaged food, honey-scented candles, art monographs, cookbooks, beautiful vases, and some very striking handmade scrolls.

The space also includes a removable wall where visitors can post handwritten messages in support of the Ukrainian cause. Once filled, the wall will head to Ukraine, where it will be displayed in a train station or other public space.

Visitors also can donate money to the cause, with donors being eligible to win two rather cool prizes. The first is a framed “Resist” poster, signed by Mark Hamill, the original Luke Skywalker. The second is far more intriguing, at least to me: a framed bracelet made of steel from the Azovstal. Steel Plant. If I understood correctly, the accompanying plaque includes signatures from some of the freedom fighters who took refuge in the plant (but check before donating if the signatures are important to you—I was a little unclear about who signed the plaque).

The store is operated by the Chicago’s Ukrainian Consulate General, in partnership with local Ukrainian retailers. It is open through October 23, but I bet the Ukrainians will keep the store open through the Christmas shopping season. All profits will be paid to United 24, the charity that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy started in an effort to aid the Ukrainian people. According to one account, the Consulate General hopes to raise over $500,000, with the funds designated for the reconstruction of a children’s hospital in eastern Ukraine.

Even if you are not looking for merchandise, you can enjoy some Ukrainian food and drinks at the Shokolad Pastry & Cafe located toward the back of the space. Interestingly, if you “dine-in,” you will be sitting on chairs that were imported from Ukraine.

I opted for the chocolate and vanilla cake. Tasty. I was joined by a number of demonstrators, who were shopping for clothes and also enjoying some of the pastries.

Today’s lesson: Never go to war with Chicago’s Ukrainian community, the second largest in the nation. They know how to demonstrate and build support for their cause. No one does it better.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It]