Sep 1

Sep 1 Labor Day March

Chicago, Demonstrations, Donald J. Trump, Parades, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations, Urban Landscapes

I had heard that the focus of today’s Labor Day Rally would be on Donald J. Trump’s anticipated deployment of the National Guard to Chicago. While there was signage addressing that likelihood, organized labor took the lead in putting the event together, which meant that most of the speakers were unionists.

As the march in Chicago’s West Loop unfolded, I realized that its secondary focus was on migrant rights and Trump’s deportation policy, which ties the march to the ICE sweeps that likely will coincide with the deployment of the National Guard. Everyone I speak with expects that Trump’s soldiers will be visible on Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park, rather in high crime areas like Austin and Englewood.

Notwithstanding the march’s worker-centric focus, it included dozens of groups, each bringing its own issue or grievance. One longstanding leftie referenced the many participating groups as we talked. Surprisingly, he expressed some dismay, suggesting that the multitude of groups diluted the overall message. Desplaines Street had become a horizontal Tower of Babel. While I philosophically agree with the his sentiments, the march did have two clear themes: (i) organized labor stands behind workers; and (ii) everyone must resist Donald J. Trump and his Republican enablers. When the MAGA fever finally breaks, the Republican Party will rue the day it jumped aboard the Trump train.

Unfortunately, I missed the speeches that immediately preceded the march. I arrived at the corner of Lake and Desplaines streets at 11:05 AM. It turned out that this was the starting line. The speeches were staged several blocks to the south.

The street was so densely populated with marchers that there was no way I was going to thread that needle (even had I crawled on my hands and knees). Aside from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s speech, I don’t think I missed much. On the local news later in the day, I heard Johnson once again decry the likely deployment of Trump troops in Chicago’s streets, something most observers think will happen this Friday.

I spoke to one photographer who concurred with my accessibility assessment. Having been in the thick of the crowd, he estimated that there were at least 5,000 people crammed into the streets between the starting line and the location of the speakers’ platform. Despite arriving early, he couldn’t get close. As I would subsequently learn, most people never heard any of the speeches that occurred at strategic points along the march route because of the woefully inadequate sound system. During the first stop for speeches, I was just a half block away from the speakers, but I didn’t hear a word anyone said, even after removing my ear plugs.

Before the march began, I asked one of the lime-vested marshals about the speeches. Misleadingly, he told me that there were no speeches before the march, but that the marchers would “Walk and Talk, Walk and Talk.” As the march unfolded, I came to understand what he meant. Organized labor had a large trailer that preceded the marchers along the route. Three times during the march, it came to a halt at strategic intersections—in one case near a Target store, to highlight Target’s compliance with Trump’s edict demanding the end of DEI programs, and in another where a billionaire—I didn’t catch his name, but he apparently has invested in up-market restaurant chains—has a nearby office.

As regular readers know by now, I dislike most of the speeches that I sit through when covering demonstrations and rallies. Yes, occasionally a gifted orator takes the podium, but the vast majority of the speakers traffic in slogans and meaningless dribble, often reading their remarks using a monotone voice as they clutch a piece of paper, never establishing eye contact with their audience. Organized labor managed to field a group of speakers today who lowered the bar even further. Predictable and monotonous platitudes delivered sans any modicum of finesse—this characterization has nothing to do with the editorial bent embedded in the remarks.

As my lefty acquaintenace pointed out, everyone involved in organizing a demonstration demands time at the mic, resulting in endless speeches that cause many to drift away. Today, he was annoyed because the turnout was a large one.

The march was scheduled from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. My watch read 2:00 PM, when I arrived at the intersection of Desplaines and Jackson Boulevard, which was the last stop along the route for speeches. After listening to two speeches, I bailed, as did many others.

I headed to Desplaines and Randolph, where there is a memorial commemorating the Haymarket riot. I figured the march would conclude at this symbol so dear to many in organized labor, so I decided to wait for the marchers.

The Haymarket riot occurred during a May 4, 1886 demonstration in support of workers who were demanding that McCormick Harvesting Machine adopt an eight-hour workday. The demonstration subsequently turned into a massacre when someone threw dynamite at the police. Seven police officers and four civilians were killed. Countless others were wounded. The bomb was the handiwork of eight anarchists, seven of whom were sentenced to death.

As I stood at the memorial, I could see the blue lights from squad cars eight or nine blocks south, but the march never resumed. After 20 minutes, I saw people streaming along the sidewalk carrying signs. Apparently, the demonstration had come to a halt with a deadening thud, most likely produced by more tedious speeches. Has anyone thought about some musical performances or a juggler?

As much as I disliked today’s speeches, the marchers and their signage proved very colorful. I particularly liked the four kids, with their scatological signage—references to poop and farts. Toilet training in our culture leaves a lifetime impression.

Along the route, I had four noteworthy experiences. First, as my photographs indicate, there was a man with two artificial lower limbs. He carried a sign reading, “Actual Patriot.” Normally, I would not photograph someone just because they had a disability, but his signage and the missing lower limbs led me to believe that he was an Iraq or Afghan war vet, suggesting to me that he was demonstrating against Trump’s coming military incursions into Venezuela, Central America, and Mexico.

I noticed other photographers capturing his image, probably for the same reason. I decided to ask him whether he was a vet who had sustained combat injuries. Nope, he lost his legs in a car accident. I told him that either way, I was sorry that he had sustained serious injury and wished him well. I view this as an important lesson, demonstrating how images can play to our preconceived notions, inadvertently producing unintentional falsehoods and myths. When possible, it is important to get the backstory.

Second, the march route initially included a pass by a Tesla store, but that portion of the route was scrubbed, which, as events turned out, was not a problem because someone angle-parked a Tesla Cyber truck on Randolph Street along the march route. When I first encountered the vehicle, a bicycle cop was standing in front of it, apparently guarding what was an enticing target. By the time the marchers passed by the truck, a number of officers surrounded the truck. I didn’t see a even scratch.

Before the machers arrived, I approached the officer, asking him whether he was guarding the truck because it was an obvious target. He did not break his game-face glare, never acknowledging me. Normally, CPD officers are much more engaging, so I was a bit surprised.

Third, the guy with the Trump piñatas showed up again. At an earlier march, I overheard him tell someone that he has brought the piñatas to 20 or so marchers, offering demonstrators the opportunity to vent their hatred of Trump by using a large bat that produces a satisfying whack, as he or a friend filmed this bit of street theater. I love it, and apparently so did two other people. Toward the end of the march, they were out on Jackson Boulevard, inviting people to take a swing at or stomp on the two Trump piñatas they had brought. One marcher went further, stabbing the piñata with an anti-fascist sign.

Fourth, and finally, at the second stop along the route, Reverend Walter P. Turner of the New Spiritual Light MB Church, spoke. Unfortunately, I only caught a portion of his speech, but from what I could gather, he referred to Mayor Brandon Johnson favorably. When he left the stage, a man excitedly approached Turner, shouting his disagreement. Several people surrounded Reverend Turner, shielding him from what might have been an uncomfortable or even violent encounter with his detractor.

I then saw the detractor approach a police officer, yelling about Krystal Rivera, the police officer who was accidentally shot in the back by her partner, Officer Carlos Baker, earlier this summer during a foot pursuit inside a Chatham apartment building. From what I could gather, the irate man believed Baker should be prosecuted for Rivera’s death.

I approached the man following his discussion with the police officer to ask him to explain his position further. He pulled out his phone, performing a search on the name “Krystal Rivera.” Showing me several articles, he told me I needed to look into her death. I then asked him what troubled him about Reverend Turner’s speech. He refused to repeat anything Turner said, telling me he did not want to amplify the alleged falsehoods by repeating them. Given his silence, I have no insight into this man’s objections, but he apparently is not pleased with how Mayor Johnson has handled the incident.

After finally calling it a demonstration, I headed to a rooftop restaurant for my Labor Day hamburger and some needed hydration. Overall, the march was an enjoyable and picturesque one, despite the horrible speeches. Certainly better than 18 holes of golf.

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