You know, I wasn’t really concerned one way or another about Nato coming to
Chicago. I think they are past their prime and most likely could be disbanded or
reduced, but what the hell, who cares?
Now Rahm is denying permits for protesters. The museums are going to be closed for three days and there is talk of getting out some major riot gear weeks in advance of anyone even showing up.
Christ. Might as well get a black flag and go march against the swine. They are so afraid there is going to be trouble, I would hate to disappoint them.
There is certainly the feeling that the police will be in huge numbers, no matter what size the protest. In an effort to keep things orderly, Rahm seems dead set on making a mess. They can’t wait to spot some bike messenger not paying attention so they beat the crap out of him and claim he was an anarchist threatening the police. Any danger of things getting out hand seems to be set into motion by the authorities already.
I think 98.9% of the “disruption” is going to end up being caused by traffic re-routes, road closures, CTA rescheduling/closures/rerouting, pedestrian restrictions, parking restrictions… That’s going to piss off more than the protesters.
I was forwarded a 9 page “memo” from law enforcement with this sort of stuff. The one thing I can’t find details on, although they mention half a dozen times that they will be happening, is these “pedestrian restrictions”. Sounds like they’re either secret or will be completely arbitrary and made up on the spot.
City officials have been saying that this summit will have a positive economic impact for the city, but I can’t for the life of me see how. With prime parts of the city made anything from inconvenient to inaccessible, it seems to me that a lot of people, both locals and tourists, who would otherwise be out spending money on a May weekend will just stay home. I can’t imagine that the spending of the diplomats, journalists, and protestors who will be coming to town can possibly offset that lost business activity.
This is becoming increasingly funny – in the most appalling way possible.
From Crain’s Business: Workers at some Chicago office towers are being encouraged to dress down to avoid being targeted by protesters during the meeting of world leaders May 20 and 21. Safety procedures in some high-rises include the recommendation that employees set aside suits, ties and anything with corporate logos. full article
So what happens if protesters show up in suits and ties?
With the NATO summit now seven days away, I will leave here with these
final thoughts:
The Chicago Police Department has spent around a million dollars in riot gear.
The rub being that the police officers have to pony up their own cash for this
gear, roughly $3,000 to be fully outfitted in the latest US version of the Imperial Stormtrooper costume.
$3000 is a lot of donuts. No wonder they’ll be grumpy. Watch out for each other, people. Because the Mayor of Chicago deeply hates anyone who is not a millionaire you are on your own.
Hope to see you on the streets, marching for peace and justice.
The most apolitical person I know is so pissed about the nurses’ permit she’s showing up at Daley Plaza in support Friday. I guess I’m going with her. I wonder if I can get my address changed on my driver’s license as long as I’m downtown. After all, people in their right minds will be staying away from the Express Office across from the plaza, right?
I’m always slightly puzzled by this type of question. I mean, to even post
here you have to be online. There’s this thing called “Google” that allows you
to find info on a wide range of things.
But anyway: other than the cop I’ve known for 12 years who was
pissing and moaning about this, there’s this bit on Chicago Cop Expenses And that’s all the research I’m willing to do for you.
Per that link, Chicago officers are provided $1,800 per year as a uniform allowance. So that at least helps mitigate some of the costs.
Nobody is forced into this profession so they know that there are costs involved with the job. Most jobs that require a uniform also require the employee to purchase that uniform. Nurses have to buy their own scrubs, Wall Street bankers have to buy their own suits, chefs have to buy their own kitchen-appropriate shoes, pants, etc. I don’t see this as being all that different.
Maybe you’re more of an optimist than I am, but I don’t think that complete disinvolvement by the authorities would eliminate “any danger of things getting out of hand”.
Well then, allow me to unpuzzle you. It’s YOUR claim. The burden of proof is on YOU and no one else. The research you do is for YOURSELF to back up YOUR claim. YOU present the evidence.
You also said
I interpreted this as the riot gear alone would personally cost each officer $3000, and this was making them especially “grumpy”. That would be understandable, and the magnitude of the individual cost would certainly have produced one hell of a lot of public complaining and would have been a big news story. But there have been no such stories.
But I apologize if my interpretation was mistaken.
While being skeptical about anything online is a good thing, this is a pointless
proposal. Anything found can be disputed. Any “proof” offered can be dismissed, and piling on evidence for a skeptic to smirk at is a waste of time. Take it or leave it as you like. I certainly do not claim to be expert on anything, and I certainly don’t have the time to back up every remark made here with footnotes, historical background, photos, or links to satisfy some other poster.
I suppose there are no stories because going to the Tribune to whine about having to shell out money for riot gear would be seen as disloyalty. Who knows? Maybe the police are a closed-mouth group of people who don’t rush to the press every time something they don’t like happens. Maybe cops see each other as belonging to some kind of special brotherhood and they don’t like outsiders snooping in. Maybe stories only breakout when something major happens, like when cops torture a person. Okay, that story might take 20 years to get out.
At the same token, there are no stories about Tribune editorial staff clearly siding with the police over the protesters. Nor are there any stories about the impact this very discussion has had upon expanding human understanding. I guess some things just aren’t covered. I have no proof on that, because there aren’t any links showing that no one gives a damn about this discussion. So I could be wrong.
But anyway: some people in Bridgeport arrested and held without charge. Big story in the paper. You heard it here last!
Actually, what I’m reading and hearing in the news is a lot of stuff about how the police AREN’T wearing riot gear (for the most part) and turtle shells. That McCarthy is using “bend, don’t break” techniques and a sizeable moving presence walking/biking/riding with the protesters, rather than human walls and kettling and blockades.
…and that’s been verified and supported so far by all the protesters themselves that I’m talking to at the Wellness Center. There’s a lot of nervousness, a shitton of rumors among the protesters, and a few actual incidents with police, but sofarknockonwood things have been pretty civil all around.
The Bridgeport arrests were *total *bullshit. But it’s not like no one’s been reporting it; I heard the first radio report on WBBM Thursday. Met a couple of the guys last night. They looked like they’d been dragged through a hedgerow backwards, and needed a place to sleep pretty badly, but appeared to be otherwise uninjured (although I did not complete an exam or anything, just pointed to pillows and blankets and let them crash.)
So I had a Very Special Guest at the Wellness Center today!
A Doper (whom I shall not name, 'cause I don’t know if he’d want me to) sent me a PM saying that he had room to put up a few protesters in his apartment, with his phone number to call for details. I did, but got his voicemail.
He came by to visit! And not only that, but he brought us a bunch of local maps, including local maps with restaurants and local maps with stores marked…so very cool. Exactly what people keep asking me for and all I’ve been able to do is point at the very ancient very tattered and torn map of all of Chicagoland on the wall.
So much fun to meet Dopers in real life, especially an interesting, generous (and handsome, I might add) Doper!
My wife took some camera/videos of the empty downtown area.
Beautiful weather, Saturday afternoon and the city is nearly empty.
Lake Shore Drive closed near the museums, snow plow trucks parked to block
the bike lane, forcing people to go around them. Nice to see the City that Works transformed into the City that Worries. Thanks Rahm!
One has to wonder how much money has been lost just so Rahm can have bragging rights about some NATO stooges being in Chicago.
Sunday is the Big Event, so we’ll see how that goes.
So I had a Very Special Guest at the Wellness Center today!