Saturday night I stopped by Mike Reed’s Constellation Chicago to hear alto saxophonist Greg Ward pay tribute to the great Fred Anderson. Here are my thoughts about and images from the performance.
Green
St. Patrick’s Day is the real deal in Chicago, so I headed out to capture those wearin’ the green on Saturday. Much to my surprise, pro-Palestinian demonstrators ‘crashed’ the festivities mid-afternoon. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
Home-Court Advantage
On Saturday, March , 2024, Chicago’s Palestinian community held a march and rally in their own neighborhood—Bridgeview, Illinois—aka ‘Little Palestine.’ I made the hour + pilgrimage to learn about the community. Here are my thoughts about and images from my adventure.
Listing the Dead
On March 7 in Chicago’s Federal Plaza, pro-Palestinian demonstrators came together for a 24-hour vigil where the names of the 30,000+ individuals who had been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023 were read aloud—they were unable to read every name because of time constraints. Here are my thoughts about and images from the vigil
Again?
On Monday, March 4, 2023, pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged rallies outside the Chicago offices of the Egyptian and Israeli Consulates General. Here are my thoughts about and images from both rallies.
A Close Call
The weather was beautiful today and I hadn’t been to a Chicago Pro-Palestinian Saturday demonstration in over a month, so I headed to Federal Plaza, where a group of several thousand assembled for a march to the Offices of the Israeli Consulate General. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
RIP Aaron Bushnell
Members of Chicago’s pro-Palestinian Community held a demonstration outside the offices of the Israeli Consulate General last night to honor Aaron Bushnell and the sacrifice made earlier this week when he chose self-immolation. Here are my thoughts about and images from what was a memorial service.
Tenacity
Chicago’s Ukrainian Community marked the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of the community’s homeland with a rally, march, and mass. Here are my thoughts about and images from the anniversary commemoration.
A Show of Support
Russian dissidents who live in Chicago commemorated the second anniversary of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine hours before Chicago’s Ukrainian Community staged its own commemoration. Here are my thoughts about and images from the Russian demonstration and march.
Winter JazzFest
On February 23, 2024, the Jazz Institute of Chicago held its Winter Jazz Fair at the Chicago Cultural Center. The day-long festival provided a welcome and much needed relief from the Winter blahs. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
'Play-Group' Protesters
On Presidents’ Day, I attended what might best be described as a ‘play group” pro-Palestinian rally. The toddlers, elementary students, and high schoolers met in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, appropriately under the Honest Abe’s watchful eye, to show their support for the Palestinian People. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally.
In Memoriam
Friday, February 16, 2024 will go down in history as a dark day, particularly for the Russian People. Tonight, Chicago’s Russian Community to pay tribute to Alexei Navalny in what proved to be a solemn memorial for another one of Vladimir Putin’s victims. Here are my thoughts about and images from the evening.
Protest At The AMA
On Valentine’s Day, Chicago Healthcare Workers for Palestine staged a demonstration outside the offices of the American Medical Association. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally.
Mayor Johnson Breaks Tie
On my way to the gym and on my way back, I stopped at City Hall because the City Council was considering a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the war between Hamas and Israel. The lobby was filled with pro-Palestinian demonstrators awaiting the results of the vote. Here are my thoughts about and photographs from the demonstration.
Ceasefire Resolution
Chicago’s Palestinian Community held a rally at Daley Plaza on January 27, 2024 to urge the City Council to adopt a cease fire resolution. Here are my thoughts and images from the demonstration.
Loops With Jeff Parker
Tonight I attended a performance by Chicago guitarist Jeff Parker and the New Breed. To my ears, the music was inspired by early-Seventies Soft Machine, but with far more electronics added to the mix. Here are my thoughts about and images from the evening.
Unity Day
On Sunday, January 21, 2023, Chicago’s Ukrainian Community celebrated Ukraine Unity Day, as well as the 50th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America—Illinois Division with a banquet at the Ukrainian Cultural Center. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.
'Block' the Drive
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has castrated the Chicago Police Department, which was made evident once again today when a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators shutdown DuSable Lake Shore Drive for nearly three hours. For my thoughts about and images from what turned into an ordeal for thousands of Chicagoans, click on the link below.
Police Escort to Safety
I was going to skip today’s pro-Palestinian demonstration, but the snowfall made the event irresistible. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
"#Abandon Biden"
On December 30, 2023, a group of Palestinian advocates held a press conference in Chicago announcing the expansion of their #AbandonBiden campaign to all 50 states. The group hopes to build a coalition to defeat President Biden in 2024. I attended the press conference. While the imagery is not dynamic, the event could be a watershed in the 2024 Presidential Election. Here are my thoughts and images, including ones from the annual Muslim American Society-Islamic Circle of North America Convention that was held at McCormick Place, drawing 30,000 attendees.