Mar 2

Mar 2 A Close Call

Today was a beautiful day. Perfect for a walk. With that in mind, I headed downtown, along with some 3,000 to 5,000 other people who apparently shared my feelings about weather. Yes, the pro-Palestinian forces converged on Federal Plaza for another Saturday demonstration; according to the organizers, their 26th major action since October 7, 2023.

While many may be surprised, I hadn’t been to a Saturday demonstration in Chicago for over a month. I took a laidback approach, changing up camera gear—no flash, only prime lenses, two Leica rangefinders, and one Leica fixed-lens autofocus M-style camera. I also arrived 45-minutes after the speeches began; in part due to the CTA’s erroneous belief that people don’t ride buses on weekends.

As I walked away from the demonstration three hours later, two thoughts stuck in my mind. First, just how quickly Aaron Bushnell’s sacrifice of his life last Sunday had apparently receded in the minds of many people. I can’t say whether he was referenced by the speakers—I assume so—but while out on the street, I saw no signage referencing him, which is odd because at Thursday night’s memorial vigil in front of the Chicago offices of the Israeli Consulate General, some of the mourners held pre-printed signage referring to and depicting him. It was only when I reviewed my images that I noticed one sign referring to Bushnell.

Second, after five months, the organizers can still turn out large numbers. As in the past, the leadership continues to play fast and loose with the headcount. Over the course of the afternoon, the people behind the mics announced that the crowd size was 4,000; then 5,000; then 8,000, and then 10,000. People undoubtedly joined the march while it was in progress, but others also left.

I’ve previously reviewed the website of a company that does crowd estimates for major events. The process is complex and time consuming, involving drones and plenty of planning. People standing on the back of the truck can make guesses, but they are just that—guesses. While standing on a planter dividing the north and southbound lanes of Michigan Avenue, I could see demonstrators stretched over a five or six block range, with the density significantly thinning as the waves of people passed..

My estimate of 3,000 to 5,000 marchers is probably generous, but I acknowledge it is only a somewhat educated estimate. There, however, were not even 3,000 people in Federal Plaza, nor outside of the Ogilvie Transportation Center. Both locations were densely packed, but there was plenty of space on peripheries.

In terms of distance, the march was one of the longer, if not the longest one I’ve covered in Chicago. Starting in Federal Plaza, the marchers first headed west, then south until they reached Jackson Boulevard, where they turned eastward, heading to Michigan Avenue. Once they reached Michigan, they headed north until reaching Wacker, and then they turned west onto Wacker. They followed Wacker to Madison, where they then headed west over the bridge, finally stopping in front of the Ogilvie Transportation Center.

The police once again set up barricades in front of the building, preventing the demonstrators access to the sidewalk in front of the entrance, but the police made a strategic mistake—they did not close the sidewalk to normal pedestrian traffic or to people coming out of the building. Moreover, the Ogilvie Transportation is a sprawling complex, occupying three blocks northward. There are plenty of entryways into what is a shopping mall and food court designed with commuters in mind.

I didn’t see how the group of demonstrators who brought the lead banner with them gained access to the building, but they managed to find their way to the atrium, blockading access to the escalators. I, of course, made my way to the atrium, as did about 25 police officers.

On at least one other occasion, the police arrested pro-Palestinian demonstrators who obstructed the escalators, so I made a point of hanging back behind the police. Visually, what was going on was not very interesting, probably because it was a Saturday afternoon. The effort was a Pyrrhic victory.

Later, back out on the street, one of the organizers gleefully claimed that the demonstrators had shut down the offices of the Israeli Consulate General. His claim rang hollow for two reasons. First, the consulate offices are closed on Saturdays, which is not surprising given that Jewish people honor the Sabbath on Saturdays. Second, the consulate offices are on the building’s 31st floor. To block access to the offices, the demonstrators would have had to commandeer an elevator bank, or to really do the job, gain access the 31st floor.

What I was witnessing was street theater. For four reasons, I suspect those blocking the escalators avoided arrest. First, today was a Saturday rather than a Wednesday afternoon at 4:00 PM. There was little if any commuter traffic. In fact, the platform-area of the station was largely empty.

Second, some of the people participating in the blockage were Palestinian Community leaders who regularly interact with the high-ranking CPD officials who oversee the demonstrations. By all appearances, relations between the two groups are cordial, if not friendly.

Third, the police presumably realized that any arrests could spark a violent response from those still on the street. Throughout the last five months, the police have gone out of their way to avoid arrests; I suspect to avoid violent escalations.

Finally, when the police began to move toward the demonstrators, effectively saying, “You’ve taken your symbolic stand, now move on,” the demonstrators yielded the escalators, moving toward the front door.

At this point, CPD made a second strategic mistake. Rather than moving the demonstrators out a side door, the police permitted them to exit through the main entrance, giving the demonstrators access to the sidewalk area that was largely no longer restricted space due to what apparently became porous barricades.

Once those holding the lead banner hit the street, the crowd surged forward, creating a crush outside the front entrance. At that point, I witnessed significant contact between some demonstrators and the police, with visible pushing and shoving. I was sure there were going to be arrests, but the police exhibited great restraint. I only saw one officer holding a baton. To their credit, the community leaders headed into the crowd seemingly urging restraint.

I saw no arrests. Neither did another photographer I regularly encounter. Within five minutes, order was restored. Cooler heads had prevailed.

As for my photographs, they are mess. Being short and standing behind people separating me from the scuffle, I had to hold my camera in the air, just clicking away. I did the best I could under extenuating circumstances.

After the crowd dispersed, I headed to the other side of the street for a fresh overview. The demonstration was largely over. One of the organizers thanked those who attended, and then announced a prayer service where people could fulfill their duty of daily salat. People began to leave.

On the way home, I shared the bus with several demonstrations holding signs. They were quiet, but appeared satisfied with the demonstration and march.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]