Texas Hold'em
“It’s hard to keep people from making speeches”
Last Sunday, toward the end of a rally for Transgender rights rally in Chicago’s Federal Plaza, a woman approached me, telling me that there would be demonstrations at what she referred to as the “Air and War” show the following weekend. Naturally, I headed out early this morning in search of the demonstration, but the CTA buses were already experiencing delays, which meant after riding and walking, I arrived at North Avenue Beach five minutes after today’s announced start time for the protest, which was to be followed by a march to Millennium Park. I was unable to find any demonstrators, but I did find people already staking their claim on what were highly sought-after plots of sand. It would nice if those organizing marches announced in advance the meetup point, as well as the route.
The woman who had approached me last weekend was correct in her characterization of the Air and Water show. The military has a good reason to cloak the instruments of war under the guise of family fun. Various branches of the nation’s armed services had lined the beach’s perimeter with tents to recruit young people.
[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]
WBBM, News Radio 780, Ready to Provide Its Annual Coverage of the “Air and War" Show
Staking Claim to Their "Air and War" Show Turf
Playing Chess Before the "Air and War" Show
Recruiting at the "Air and War" Show
In Position for the "Air and War" Show
Heading to the "Air and War" Show
No point in wasting time at the “Air and War Show,” so I began my trek southward, to Millennium Park’s Wrigley Square, where Indivisible Chicago had scheduled an 11:00 AM rally, which Indivisible branded Stand with Texas: Fight the Trump Takeover. Similar rallies were scheduled in all 50 states, much like the earlier Good Trouble and No Kings rallies. Getting to Michigan Avenue proved tricky given all the pathways that had been closed.
I’d been looking forward to the Texas demonstration all week because I had assumed at least two or three of the Texas legislators who “broke quorum” would show up. Yesterday, my hopes were dashed when I read reports that the Texas delegation that had been holed up in Illinois for the last two weeks was scheduled to return home. Some media outlets reported Friday as the return date, while others were vaguer, indicating that the return would occur sometime over the weekend.
I hopped a 147 bus outside of 900 North Michigan Avenue. Within minutes, I was at Millennium Park. Thankfully, the park’s security team had opened a separate entrance to Wrigley Square that did require those entering to pass through security screening. After the infamous riots during the 1968 Democratic Convention, the authorities apparently had concluded that Chicago demonstrators were tough enough to fend for themselves.
While walking to the area reserved for the media, I a joyful feeling suddenly overcame me. Standing in front of me were a dozen or so people wearing distinctive black t-shirts, bearing the Texas map in thick white lines, with the words “Stop the Texas Steal” horizontally bisecting the Texas map. Thank God; they had stayed for the rally.
To a person, they were friendly and ready to engage. I spoke briefly with one legislator who had done a tour of duty in Iraq. I had a longer conversation with another, beginning by telling her I was disappointed they were throwing in the towel. Responding, she pointed to their jobs and families still in Texas, plus the cost of hiding out in Illinois with the Pritzker Gang. “Move here,” I responded, “Everybody is welcome.” She broke out laughing, asking me to repeat the lines while standing in front of her iPhone so she could capture my sentiment for the people back home. Naturally, I complied with her request.
I first asked her whether they had gotten the Republicans to agree to drop the $500 daily fine for “breaking quorum.” No deal, but according to her, that was a possibility. I then asked the salient question, “How are the Democrats going to respond when Gregg Abbott and the Republicans jam redistricting through the legislature. Expressing hope, she noted that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had recently ruled against Louisiana’s redistricting plan on the grounds that the effort involved racially-based gerrymandering, which is prohibited by Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. See, Callais v. Louisiana, which the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review. Of course, she did not provide me with that level of legal detail, but she did say she was hopeful that the appellate court (referring to the Fifth Circuit) would make a similar finding in the case of Texas Governor Abbott’s efforts.
After I finished speaking with the Texas representative, I circulated through the crowd, capturing images of signage and people grazing in Wrigley Square’s shaded grassy areas. People were visibly avoiding the sunny areas. The heat and humidity were already intolerable, even in the shade.
At some point, people holding large black cards, each with a white letter, appeared in front of the fountain. Once the group holding the cards had formed a semicircle, the words “TEXAS DEMS” were visible, preceded by a card with a “Thumbs-up” symbol.
Like the Red Sea, the those holding the cards then split into two parts, with “TEXAS” on one side and “DEMS” on the other. A microphone stand appeared between the two sides, and then a woman from Indivisible Chicago welcomed everyone with some short remarks. She was followed by Illinois Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL) , who spoke out against Donald J. Trump’s effort to rig the 2026 election through his Texas demand that the Texas congressional map be gerrymandered, thereby turning five Democratic House seats Republican.
The Texas Democrats took charge once Ramirez completed her remarks. First up, Texas State Representative Ramon Romero, Jr. (D-Fort Worth), who brought a new chant from Texas: “Stand up, Square Up.” The locals were highly receptive, gladly joining in Romero’s chant. Romero then went on to describe why Texas Governor Greg Abbott decided to pursue redistricting:
Donald Trump called his boy in the Texas House, the governor’s mansion, and he said, “I need five seats.” What did he say? He kneeled down, and he said, “Yes, my king.”
Romero then thanked Governor Pritzker and “every single person that’s here with us,” adding “We are in for the fight.”
The RefuseFascism Merch Table
Likes Ukrainians and Clowns (With One Exception When It Comes to Clowns)
Her Patriotism on Proudly on Display
(Most Likely) Texas State Rep. Mary Ann Perez (D-Houston) Being Interviewed By ABC News 7
Just Passing By the RefuseFascism Banner
The Paper Mache Donald J. Trump Ready to Take a Beating
Jeffrey Epstein May Be Dead, But He Still Made an Appearance
Picturing Those Who Have Been Disappeared
Margret Atwood’s Handmaids Are Out Today
Some Salty, But Subject Appropriate, Language
In the Shade
Jeffrey Epstein May Be Dead, But He Still Made an Appearance Today
Texas Democratics Who Broke Quorum Beginning to Gather in Millennium Park
It's Selfie Time for the Texas Delegation
Someone Apparently Brought a Friend from Texas
Yellow Republicans of Texas ≠ Yellow Roses of Texas
She Brought Her U.S. Constitution from Texas
Kathy Tholin, Chair of Indivisible Chicago, Delivering Opening Remarks
Texas State Rep. Venton Jones (D-Dallas) Letting It Rip
Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL) Speaking Out Against Donald J. Trump's Effort to Rig the 2026 Election
Texas State Rep. Ramon Romero, Jr. (D-Fort Worth), Standing Up and Squaring Up
Texas State Rep. Jolanda Jones (D-Houston) Standing Up and Squaring Up for the Fight
Once Representative Romero had finished, Texas State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio) took the podium. As an aside, Gervin-Hawkins’ nephew, George Gervin, Jr. (aka the Iceman) played professional basketball for 14 seasons, spending 11 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and one with the Chicago Bulls. He apparently rubbed Michael Jordan the wrong way, according to reports.
Gervin-Hawkins began her remarks with a reference to the National Guard troops roaming the streets of Washington, D.C. Being a good politician, she knows a good applause line, so she asked the crowd, “Now can you imagine the National Guard in Chicago?” The gave a resounding “No” response. Turning to the Abbott redistricting plan, Gervin Hawkins said,
When me and my colleagues, we left, it was because of these racist maps that were developed to eliminate seats. As my colleague said earlier, our governor capitulated with the President. Now, I’m on the redistricting committee. Think about it. A letter comes from the Department of Justice saying your current maps are illegal, but we still have a pending case from the 2021 maps and fighting that, where our leadership said the maps were legal under oath. So who’s right. Who’s lying? . . .
Our plan is to fight in the courts. We hope they’re fair this time. Our message is to make sure our message gets to you.
The Texas House Minority Leader, Representative Gene Wu (D-Houston), followed Gervin Hawkins. His remarks were brief, but he knew how to ask “participatory” rhetorical questions?
Let me ask you: Are we going to fight them in the legislature? [“Yes,” responded the crowd.] Are we going to fight them in the Congress? [“Yes,” the crowd roared.] Are we going to fight them in the streets? [“Yes,” yelled the crowd.] Are we going to fight them in the courts? [“Yes,” the crowd shouted.]. Are we not going to give them a moment’s rest until we take our country back? [The crowd responded with an enthusiastic “Yes”]
Representative Wu was followed by Texas State Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), who noted that the Texas legislators were,
here in the Land of Lincoln, which is appropriate because Abraham Lincoln broke quorum as a state senator in 1840 by jumping out of the window at the Illinois State Capitol.
He continued,
Thankfully, thankfully, we didn’t have to jump out any windows back in Texas. But we are all, all of us, participating in a long American tradition of standing up to bullies, of speaking truth to power, of civil disobedience, of good trouble, because that is the only way to ensure, in the words of Lincoln, that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from this earth.
At that point, Texas had spoken its mind. This being Chicago, the organizers turned the podium over to Don Villar, the Secretary and Treasurer of the Chicago Federation of Labor. I’ve seen Villar before; he is a lot of fun to watch because he is very kinetic. Villar was the right guy to put last. Bringing the 1968 Democratic Convention to mind, Villar said,
Think about it, by the way, our good sister from San Antonio, she [Barbara Gervin-Hawkins] mentioned the National Guard coming to our streets. By the way, 57 years ago, they were down the block, right? Fifty-seven [years ago] remember what they said, “The whole world is watching. The whole world is watching.
At that point, the crowd enthusiastically joined in the chant, bringing back a golden oldie that many will recall from the eponymously named first album by the Chicago Transit Authority, who were subsequently forced by the real CTA to shorten their name to Chicago.
"Hey, Abbott! Come and Take Them."
Texas State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins Raising (D-San Antonio) the Possibility that National Guard Troops Will Be Deployed in the Streets of Chicago
Chanting
Texas State Representative Gene Wu (D-Houston) Making His Point
Texas State Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) Speaking to Those Who are Appalled by the Effort to Gerrymander Donald Trump to Victory
The Chicago Federation of Labor's Don Villar Once Again Showing His Explosive Energy
The Inflatable "Trump Baby" Making an Appearance to the Delight of Demonstrators
Following the speeches, the crowd was instructed to snap into formation for a march southward on Michigan Avenue, which would then turn right, heading westward until dead ending at Federal Plaza. Given the heat, the route was mercifully short. Some 300 to 400 decided to go for the walk. The marchers were enthusiastic, holding their signs high while chanting and yelling.
Regrettably, Indivisible Chicago apparently decided that there would be no program at Federal Plaza, which meant the demonstration came to a lackluster ending. Had I been an organizer, I would have hired a band to provide some music. The Fugs, Country Joe and Fish, and the Jefferson Airplane are long gone, but surely someone local could have offered up some entertaining protest dirges. A couple of years back, I recall Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine performing at one demonstration. Maybe WILCO would have done the honors.
In addition to music, I would have had a couple of food trucks on site, offering up some Texas BBQ. What better way to send the Texas delegation back to Texas? Or maybe Chicago Hot Dogs (no ketchup) from Byrons, or sliders from the Billy Goat.
Instead, the organizers handed out large sticks of colored chalk. The adults transformed into children, scribbling slogans on the plaza’s pavement. Most people left shortly after their arrival, leaving plenty of open space for the artists in the crowd. One a’hole decided to deface the Calder Flamingo, bringing back memories from two or three years ago when portions of the statue had to be repainted due to similar graffiti. Fortunately, this time the words were written in chalk that would wash away during the next rainstorm. Nevertheless, this guy’s lack of respect for public art should not be tolerated. or excused.
Despite the bland ending, the demonstration was a big success. The Texas legislators made for a memorable event. People can only listen to the same local speakers so often without losing interest.
Oh, just in case you are interested in buying a Trump piñata, call Dulce Del Sol Landia. The guy who brings one of these piñatas to anti-Trump demonstrations identified Dulce Del Sol Landia as his source. At each demonstration, he gives the marchers an opportunity to take a swing at the piñata. The guy has a great sense of humor. I’ve waited to see whether candy pours out when the piñata splits apart. No candy inside.
Ready to March
"Taco Dumbbell"
Rising Up; Fighting Back
Texas Democrats Outfront on Michigan Avenue
Signs Proudly Held High
Forming a Human Chain-Line Fence
No, No, No, and No
Donald Trump Is Great for the Bucket Boys' Business
Margaret Atwood’s Handmaids are Marching Today
Here They Come
"Stand with Texas Dems"
Coming at Me
Passing Through a Cement Canyon, Headed to Federal Plaza
A RevCom Taking a Stand
Taking the Final Swing at Today's Trump Piñata
Celebrating His Triumph Over the Paper Mache Trump Piñata
Standing Around in Federal Plaza
Reverting to Childhood, But with a Serious Message
Some People are Still Going Strong
Sitting, But Still Fighting
"Stop Election Stealing and Gerrymandering Wars"
Two Words that May Prove Apocalyptic to Donald J. Trump
Photographer’s Note: The images in this article were made using three Leica M cameras. One with a 21mm lens, the second with a 28mm lens, and the third with a 75mm lens. No zooms; no autofocus; no auto exposure.
Copyright 2025, Jack B. Siegel, All Rights Reserved. Do Not Alter, Copy, Display, Distribute, Download, Duplicate, or Reproduce Without the Prior Written Consent of the Copyright Holder.
