Early this morning, roughly 130 people from Occupy Chicago were arrested while attempting for the second time to build a new, permanent home for the Occupation, exercising their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble. Arrestees were taken to the District 1 Police Station at 18th & State, where they were charged with disturbing the peace.
This weekend follows up 175 arrests from last weekend’s demonstration in the same park. Those 175 were released on bond a few hours after their arrests. Individuals arrested this morning have been held much longer, some over 16 hours. These arrestees were denied phone calls and legal counsel.
Six protesters were arrested last week as well as this morning. Despite Occupy Chicago’s attempt to post bond for these individuals, only one, Joey Young, 27, was released. The rest are being held until they meet individually with a judge on Monday, each at separate locations. Young was told he could speak with a public defender but that never manifested. After a very brief meeting with a bond judge, Young was released around 3:00 PM with a $10,000 i-bond. His possessions, including his phone, shoelaces and wallet, were not returned. He has a court date scheduled for October 26.
Those arrested Sunday morning included registered nurses and other members from National Nurses United, who erected a medical tent at the action. NNU and Occupy Chicago plan a protest outside City Hall at 10:00 AM Monday to denounce the arrests and demand that charges be dropped.
Occupy Chicago questions why city resources are being used to arrest non-violent protestors. First Amendment rights guarantee the right to peaceful assembly, and park curfews should not restrict these rights.
Since the completion of arrests around 3:00 AM, dozens of supporters have been waiting outside the police station with donations of hot food for the release of their fellow Occupiers.
Since Sept. 23, Occupy Chicago has been utilizing the sidewalks of the financial district to raise awareness of the corruption and complicity in the banking industry and government.
Angry, shocked, overwhelmed? Take action: Support independent media.
We’ve borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump’s presidency.
Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.”
Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we’ve reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty, staff, and students refusing to comply. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity.
It will be a long fight ahead. And as nonprofit movement media, Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance.
As we undertake this life-sustaining work, we appeal for your support. We have 48 hours left in our fundraiser: Please, if you find value in what we do, join our community of sustainers by making a monthly or one-time gift.