Aug 16

Aug 16 Death in a Tent

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

“A protest movement which does not grow loses power every day, since protest movements depend upon the interest they arouse in the media. But the mass media are interested only in processes which are expanding dramatically or collapsing.”

— Norman Mailer, Armies of the Night: History as a Novel, the Novel as History (1967)

I had no plans to attend the weekly pro-Palestinian rally today, which took place several hours after Indivisible Chicago’s Stop the Texas Steal rally wrapped. But then I learned about the Christian Nationalist rally scheduled for 5:00 PM in Daley Plaza.

Needing to kill time between the Texans and the Christians, I had a leisurely lunch, and then headed to the intersection of Upper Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue, where the pro-Palestinians were holding their weekly demonstration. Apparently, the organizers have developed a preference for that location, as opposed to Grant Park or Jane Byrne Plaza, where the vast majority of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations have unfolded over the last 22 months. They may now prefer the Wacker Drive location because it offers them more visibility given all the tourists and shoppers who walk along Michigan Avenue on a typical Saturday summer afternoon.

Immediately following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack against Israel, the new location would not have been feasible because the initial pro-Palestinian demonstration were drawing large numbers. Now, maybe 100 people show up for the Saturday demonstrations unless there is a major development, so the Wacker Drive location works, at least sizewise.

From a photographic standpoint, the new location is awful. The demonstrators stand on a relatively narrow strip of sidewalk, with congested Wacker Drive on one side, and a cement wall preventing people from falling to their deaths on the other. As a result, the demonstrators mill about without a central focal point. The speakers do not stand directly in front of the demonstrators, nor are they elevated. Intead, everyone, including the speakers, become an undifferentiated mass. Many pedestrians passing along Michigan Avenue probably don’t even realize there is a demonstration taking place, even if they bother to turn their heads. Those that do, rarely stop to take it in.

Arresting photographs require a central focal point, with the demonstrators focused on the speakers. The passing cars and other visual clutter further undercut the imagery.

As has been the central question for some some time: Why do the organizers of the weekly pro-Palestinian rallies even bother given the low turnouts? When I have spoken with the organizers, they have acknowledged the reduced numbers. As I’ve noted to them, asking people to make the weekly drive from Bridgeview and the surrounding suburbs (aka as “Little Palestine”) is asking a lot. After all, people have kids with soccer games, Saturday is a big day for weddings and other family events, and many people have jobs and businesses that require them to work on Saturdays.

The organizers don’t disagree, but they indicate that despite the lower turnouts, the community is still delivering its message to the public. Given the shift in public opinion in recent months against Israel, I understand their reasoning. At the margins, the demonstrations probably have contributed to the public’s shifting views. I nevertheless suspect that the changes in public opinion are largely attributable to the news reports coming out of Gaza. Regardless, I admire the tenacity shown by the organizers and many of the demonstrators, who both continue to turnout every Saturday.

Several weeks ago, one organizer told me that they create videos and still images that the group transmits to the Palestinians living in Gaza so that they realize the Palestinian diaspora living outside of Gaza and the West Bank sympathize with those living in Gaza and continues to support the liberation effort.

As for today’s demonstration: It’s focus was on four Al Jazeera and two other journalists who were killed this week by an Israeli airstrike near Gaza City. The Israelis targeted Ana al-Sharif, a journalist with Al Jazeera who the Israelis claim was a member of Hamas. Along with al-Sharif, the Israelis killed the others even though they had no affiliation with Hamas. Together with al-Sharif, the five were standing in a tent reserved for journalists. They simply became collateral damage.

The incident serves as a microcosm, illustrating how Israel has conducted its entire effort in Gaza over the last 22 months. The Israeli military identifies what it characterizes as a legitimate target, and then it launches strikes aimed at the target despite the fact that there are innocent civilians in the immediate vicinity, which explains why tens of thousands of women and children have been killed to date. Assuming for the sake of argument that al-Sharif was a legitimate target, the Israelis could have easily exercised restraint, waiting until al-Sherif was isolated from others before killing him. Israel’s lack of restraint and its willingness to kill innocents in large numbers is exactly why public opinion has shifted against it.

The Committee to Protect Journalists characterized the attack as a “targeted assassination” and “yet another blatant and premeditated attack on press freedom.” I have yet to see any evidence that al-Sharif was anything but a journalist. The UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO also have condemned the killings.

I stayed for what I assume was the bulk of the rally, but I had to leave before the march kicked off. The Christian nationalists were calling. Apparently, the march headed south on Michigan Avenue.

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