At The Chicago Protest

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Monday May 01, 2006 · 1:33 PM PDT

2006/05/01 · 13:33

Today, between classes, I attended the Chicago immigration protest. Some call it a rally, but it is, at its core, a protest against H.R. 4437. Sign after sign referenced that piece of legislation. There were thousands of people here on the corner of State and Jackson alone (early estimates I hear place the overall Chicago crowd between 300,000-500,000). For over three hours or so, the protesters chanted "U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!". Non-stop. Their chants were broken only by a thunderous roar of cheers as the trains on the Loop passed by.

I saw streaming in front of me a sea of people, carrying for the most part huge American flags (I saw a couple of Greek flags too, which brought a smile to my face). A small boy, about 10 years old I would guess, marched with a handwritten sign that said "I am not a terrorist." A mother with a child had taped a sign reading "Deportation= Broken Families" to her baby's stroller. "We work hard for this country," read another bright orange sign. Many signs read "No Human Being Is Illegal." I'm sure there were counter-protesters, but I didn't see any from my viewpoint.

It's difficult to describe the energy that radiated from the mass of humanity before me. Their chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" caused this section of the city to pulsate. Whether you believe protests are effective or not, whether you agree with those protesting or not, it's hard to deny that these people, with their mere presence, have proved that the art of protest is still alive in the streets of America.

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At The Chicago Protest

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