On Saturday, December 6, 2025, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke during the annual Christmas Tree Ship ceremony held at Chicago’s Navy Pier. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.
Black Friday Anemia
On Black Friday, November 29, 2025, demonstrators staged two rallies on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. The first addressed a wide variety of issues, best summed up as the Trump agenda. The demonstrators were urging consumers to boycott Amazon.com, Home Depot, and Target. The second demonstration addressed animal rights and the trade in fur. Both events drew sparse attendance. Here are my thoughts about and images from both demonstrations.
Stabbed In the Back
Today, November 25, 2025, Chicago’s Ukrainian Community held a rally at the Wrigley Building Plaza, which was followed by a memorial service at Holy Name Cathedral so that the community could properly honor the victims of Holodomor. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day’s events.
Selenium Derivatization Blues
Billy Branch brought his Sons of the Blues to the Logan Center Friday night. The SOBs were larger than normal, with a horn section and three backup singers. Branch was launching his new album, The Blues is My Biography. The band the music was terrific. Here are my thoughts about and images from the evening.
Venezuela
On November 20, 2025, 75 demonstrators held a rally in Chicago’s Federal Plaza objecting to Donald J. Trump’s efforts to topple Venezuela strongman Nicolás Maduro’s regime, possibly through U.S. military intervention. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
One Picture
Chief Greg Bovino of the U.S. Border Patrol and about 80 agents posed in front of Chicago’s iconic Bean (Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate) on November 10, 2025. A group of demonstrations recreated the photograph on November 11, 2025, but instead of holding long guns, the demonstrations held signs calling for ICE to leave Chicago. Here are my thoughts about and a single photograph of the November 11th photo session.
Veterans Taking a Stand
Chicago-area veterans held a rally at Chicago’s Vietnam War Memorial along the Chicago Riverwalk to commemorate Veterans Day 2025. Given all the chaos created by Donald J. Trump, several speakers went far afield in their remarks, thereby overshadowing the stated theme—opposition to all war. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally
Gatherings
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators, a lone anti-Trump demonstrator, and a group of motorcyclists all took to the streets on Saturday, October 4, 20025. Their paths crossed on Upper Wacker Drive, just to the west of Michigan Avenue. Here are my thoughts about and images from the three gatherings.
Broadview
On Friday, October 3, 2025, I headed to the ICE Broadview Detention Center where migrants who are detained by ICE are processed and held. Earlier in the day, five people were arrested, but while I was outside the facility, there were no arrests or other notable incidents. Here are my thoughts about and images from my visit.
The "Enemy From Within"
On September 20, 2025, Chicago’s pro-Palestinian and “Trump-Out-of-Chicago” forces joined together what turned into a joint rally and march. Several hundred demonstrations castigated Trump, condemned ICE, and demanded that Israel cease military operations in Gaza. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally and subsequent march.
Durbin Speaks
On August 24, 2025, Senator Richard J. Durbin held a town hall meeting at Chicago’s Ukrainian Cultural Center, where he spoke about the war in Ukraine and then answered questions from community leaders. Here are my thoughts about and images from the meeting.
A Twofer
On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 75 demonstrators rallied outside the offices of Chicago-based McNally Capital, calling out the family investment office for an investment it made in a security firm that the demonstrators allege has caused death and injury to countless Palestinians in Gaza. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
Mexican Independence Day
On Sunday, September 14, 2025, Chicago’s Mexican Community celebrated Mexican Independence Day with a parade in Little Village. Here are my thoughts about and images from the afternoon celebration.
Head Fake
On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the Coalition Against Trump staged an emergency demonstration at 5:00 PM in the Congress Gardens Plaza just off Michigan Avenue. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.
Where Were You?
Late Saturday afternoon, I covered a rally demanding that Donald J. Trump keep the military and ICE agents out of Chicago. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration and subsequent march.
Naval Base Great Lakes
On Saturday, September 7, 2025, 100 people demonstrated outside Naval Base Great Lakes in Waukegan, Illinois in opposition to Donald J. Trump’s immigration policies and his willingness to deploy the National Guard and the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement purposes. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration and subsequent march.
Labor Day March
September has arrived, which means Labor Day weekend. Today, several thousand Chicagoans took to the streets in the West Loop and Fulton Market for a protest march against the Trump Administration. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event
Jazzfest, Day 3
The third day of the 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival brought a variety of jazz styles to Chicago’s Millennium Park. Alto saxophonist Gary Bartz played some funk, as well as the airy sounds of early Seventies electrified jazz. Closing out the day, Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers played many familiar songs rooted in the New Orleans jazz tradition. Here are my thoughts and images from the day’s performances.
Jazzfest, Day 2
The second day of the 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival brought a variety of jazz styles to Chicago’s Millennium Park. Hands down, pianist Patricia Barber outdid everyone with her lyrical wordplay rooted in the Beat poets and her piano work, but her band was also outstanding because it maintained a consistency musical line throughout Barber’s performance. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
Jazzfest, Day 1
The 2025 Chicago Jazz Festival opened its four-day run with a superb lineup. Here are my thoughts about and images from the the first day of the festival.