Dec 8

Dec 8 Picketing Boeing

Chicago, Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

A group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged a rally outside of Boeing’s Chicago offices at 4:30 PM today. While most people associate Boeing with wide-body jets, the company also is a major defense contractor. It manufacturers AH-6 Light Attack Helicopters, B-52 Bombers, F/A-18 Super Hornets, Precision Engagement Systems (a component part for missiles), T-7A Red Hawk Jets, and a host of other aviation equipment for military use.

Whoever organized the demonstration committed a strategic blunder, as one of the police officers blocking the entrance to Boeing’s offices noted, telling me that Boeing closed its officers earlier so that its employees could avoid the commotion. He then added that 8:00 AM makes more sense, pointing to past demonstrations unrelated to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.

The timing decision was even more misguided than the officer thought. I had assumed everyone was working from home today—after all it was a Friday. Given the post-lockdown workweek, anyone staging a demonstration outside of corporate offices should opt for a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

As an aside, in 2022 Boeing announced that it was moving its corporate headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia, with one Boeing executive referring to the Chicago headquarters at a “ghost town,” according to Reuters. Prior to the move, Boeing had over 500 employees in Chicago, but I have heard that number is now well below 100. Given Boeing’s small Chicago footprint, any demonstration is largely symbolic, so timing probably doesn’t matter so long as the media covers another classic ‘pseudo-event.’ With the exception of one television cameraman, I saw no members of the media, except a couple of freelance photographers.

But I am already ahead of myself. When I first encountered the officer, who I’ve gotten to know from prior demonstrations, the first words out of his mouth were, “This one’s a dud.” It was 4:20 PM, and only a handful of demonstrators were standing on the promenade overlooking the river that is not even a block south of Boeing’s offices.

By 4:45 AM, the group had grown in number, but not by much. At the end of the demonstration, one of the speakers thanked everyone who attended, noting that over 100 people took part, which was a reasonable estimate. I didn’t count the number of police officers, but I would not be surprised if the demonstrator-to-police-officer ratio was one to one.

Like the protest against the Crown Family outside the Art Institute of Chicago, this one was laser focused. The Crowns hold an interest in General Dynamics, another major defense contractor, so both demonstrations targeted weapons of war. According to at least one speaker, each Boeing employee inside the 36-story building was complicit in the Israel’s campaign of death and destruction.

Many of the chants were the well-known ones, but in at least one case, an adjustment was necessary. “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide” became “Boeing, Boeing, you can’t hide.” Much of the signage focused specifically on Boeing, eschewing more familiar slogans like “From the River to the Sea.”

Once again, one of the speakers counseled demonstrators not to vote for President Joe Biden in 2024. I remain puzzled by the underlying logic. The threat resonates with visceral appeal but is rooted in highly shortsighted logic. Will these demonstrators be as enthusiastic when President Donald Trump bans Muslims from entering the country on Monday, the 25th of January 2024; when he approves increased military aid for Israel; or when he ignores Israel’s ongoing efforts to annex the West Bank by building more settlements, forcing Palestinians out of their meager homes, and increasing Israel’s military footprint?

After the speeches wrapped up, the demonstrators headed one block west to Canal Street, then marched one block north on Canal, and then headed one block up Lake Street until they reached the other side of the building housing Boeing’s offices. Of course, they were greeted by a phalanx of police officers—no end runs today.

At that point, a man brought the demonstration to a close by telling the demonstrators to head home safely, claiming that the police were on drugs that would make them more dangerous. Ironically, this is one of the charges leveled against the Hamas fighters who invaded Israel on October 7. According to widespread media reports many of the fighters had ingested the synthetic stimulant Captagon, a methamphetamine-like substance that ‘jacks’ users up, making them more aggressive.

I have two issues with this man’s audacious statements. First, the police today were quite accommodating. I saw no arrests; no batons being swung; no physical contact with the demonstrators; no yelling; no threats, and no one dressed in riot gear. The overall demeanor of the police was consistent with earlier pro-Palestinian demonstrations. I’ve been at two demonstrations where arrests were made, and one where administrative citations were issued. Each time, the police handled the offending demonstrators with kid gloves.

The officers were professional, focused on everyone’s safety, minimizing traffic disruptions, and protecting property. Did the speaker believe that the police would allow the demonstrators free-range inside Boeing’s corporate offices? If the police had consumed methamphetamine, CPD should get a refund. Jacked-up? Bored is the more accurate characterization of their overall demeanor.

I witnessed a somewhat jovial conversation between 18th District Commander John Hein and a representative from the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine. It was clear that they knew each other from past demonstrators. I also saw one of the organizers speaking with Commander Hein before shortly before the demonstration began. Based on their body language, the discussion was clearly non-confrontational.

Second, demonstrators associated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and other far-left groups were present today. Normally, folks on this side of the political spectrum take labor’s side, focusing on working conditions, unfair labor practices, and income inequality. Aren’t these police officers rank-and-file workers; no different than tradespeople or assembly-line workers? No one would characterize them as wealthy or privileged. So why demean them?

Watching the police milling about on the street, I sensed that they simply ignored the demonstrators as they awaited the end of another of many demonstrations. Once most of the demonstrators had departed, the police opened Lake Street to traffic after moving their own vehicles.

Some police officers presumably headed over to Millennium Park where another demonstration was scheduled for 7:00 PM.

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