Aug 3

Aug 3 The Palestinians Are Back

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

On October 7, 2023, Hamas staged a surprise attack against Israel that caught the Israelis off guard. Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed. Israel responded with what turned into a multi-year war against Hamas that left much of Gaza in ruins. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, over 41,000 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s war on Hamas. Even when the open warfare in Gaza ended, the tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians continued to brew in the West Bank, with Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians as part of an Israeli effort to annex the West Bank.

In Chicago, the October 7 attack resulted in almost weekly Palestinian demonstrations for well over a year. In recent months, Chicago’s Palestinian Community has been far less visible, which is not surprising. Donald J. Trump has single-handedly brought demonstrators into the streets. While the Palestinian issue is referenced during these demonstrations, the demonstrators have been focused as of late on Trump’s foreign “adventures” in Venezuela and Iran, with concern also being expressed about military intervention against those holding power in Cuba. People also have taken to the streets over Trump’s immigration policies, verbal attacks on minorities, attempts to silence speech, and economic and tax policies.

Chicago’s Palestinian Community apparently decided that they needed to up their diminished visibility by staging a 5:30 PM demonstration today across from the Ogilvie Transportation Center, which is where Israel’s Midwest Consulate General is located. Somewhere between 50 and 75 people turned out, including the community’s leadership that so diligently organized the weekly demonstrations following October 7.

I asked one of the organizers what precipitated today’s demonstration. She indicated that it was the recent uptick in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Four or five community members offered their thoughts to those lining Madison Street. For the most part, no new ground was covered. Nevertheless, the other demonstrators responded enthusiastically to the remarks.

After 45 minutes, the group marched north on Canal Street until they reached Washington Street, where they then turned eastward. They then marched northward along Upper Wacker Drive, eventually finding themselves across from Trump Tower. Within 15 minutes of arrival, the group disbanded, bringing today’s demonstration to an end. Overall, the demonstration and march were uneventful except for the two counter-demonstrators who mounted a largely lackluster response.

[Nothing in This Post Is or Should be Taken as Legal Advice. Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]