4 Signs the American Spring May Be Coming to Chicago

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/occupywallst/154089/4_signs_the_american_spring_may_be_coming_to_chicago/

Chicago’s G8/NATO organizing committee has landed on a slogan for the city as it hosts the twin summits this May: “The Global Crossroads.” This is certainly an appropriate moniker for a town built by immigrants, with its neighborhoods still bearing the names of the ethnic enclaves they once were: Ukranian Village, Greektown, Little Italy and Andersonville, to name a few. Recognizing the inherently global character of the Metropolis of the Midwest would be honorable, if that is what the organizers intended. However, when they say “global,” they are invoking the 1 percent sense of the word, as Don Welsh of the city’s Convention and Tourism Bureau makes clear: “To penetrate international markets takes time and money, and this is going to help us showcase to the international markets in a quick way.” It is the global markets that will cross paths as the world’s political and financial elite sets its agenda behind closed doors at McCormick Place.

Meanwhile, on the outside, there will be thousands of protesters expressing their dissent with the flagrant militarism and economic exploitation inherent to this agenda. Protest organizers in Chicago are busily coordinating with community groups, labor unions, and occupiers everywhere to plan what figures to be a riveting display of resistance. What’s more, the Canadian culture-jamming magazine Adbusters, which put out the call for Occupy Wall Street last year, has issued a similar “tactical briefing” regarding NATO/G8:

'Against the backdrop of a global uprising that is simmering in dozens of countries and thousands of cities and towns, the G8 and NATO will hold a rare simultaneous summit in Chicago this May. The world’s military and political elites, heads of state, 7,500 officials from 80 nations, and more than 2,500 journalists will be there.

And so will we.'

[Scuba]

1. Chicago's beautiful in May. See you there.

[2pooped2pop]

2. Yes, it is going to be historic.

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

[JDPriestly]

3. How do the protestors plan to maintain nonviolence in what they do?

The minute that crowds become angry and violent, they lose the support and trust of ordinary people. That is true regardless of how evil the actions the crowd is demonstrating against or how righteous the views of the protestors.

Occupy LA achieved what I see as the most important goal of the Occupy movement -- obtaining support from the LA City Council for an amendment to bar unlimited corporate campaign funding.

The secret of the success of Occupy LA in my view was its emphasis on nonviolence.

I was there only rarely, but each time I was there, I heard serious discussion about training in non-violence. And I believe that they actually held practice enactments on how to remain non-violent during an arrest.

There was some police abuse of those being arrested, but because the protestors remained non-violent, they earned the respect of many of us who were not present during most of the activities.

People organizing demonstrations took take a page from Dr. King's book and demand that all participating in the demonstrations be trained in nonviolence and dedicated to practicing it.

[2pooped2pop]

4. I believe that Occupy still

maintains a policy of non violence. This is the G8. There will be many other groups. Occupy can only take responsibility for actions that it's own Occupy group does.

They do speak of non violence and I do believe they understand the importance of remaining that way. I'm sure they will be blamed for the actions of black bloc, provacatuers, and any anarchist actions, but they can't really sit back down and stop planning actions because of the few that will try to use it for their own purposes.

If the police remain non violent, there is not going to be any problems. If they arrest only those who are committing acts of vandalism or other crimes, there will not be any violence.

It's mostly going to get down to how the police react when the occupiers and others refuse to stay in any free speech zone far from the ability to be heard. I don't think the occupiers will remain in those zones.

The police will have to decide to allow an unscripted protest that is peaceful to occur or to break open hell and start riots with tear gas, rubber bullets, kettling, beating. I believe they will allow the unscripted actions to occur peacefully rather than risk it.

That's what I think anyway.

[starroute]

5. Occupy Chicago also has something planned for April 7

I don't know what it is, exactly -- I just follow them on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/events/248298848563458/

Chicago Spring - April 7th 2012

On this day we will take a stand against government corruption, against the greed of wall street, and demand a true democracy! Stand with us to remind politicians that they were elected to represent us, the voters, not those who financed their elections.

We ask the whole country to join us in Chicago this spring to stand in solidarity as we say no to corporate greed and economic injustice. Stand with us, as we make it impossible to be ignored any longer.

Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell the world.

#ChicagoSpring begins on #Apr7. But it doesn't end there.

#Apr7 #May1 #May12 #May19 #NATOG8 #OChi

The occupation is not leaving... Be There