President Joe Biden was in Chicago today delivering a major speech at the Old Post Office, embracing the once pejorative term “Bidenomics.” Following the mid-day gathering, Biden headed to the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Chicago’s Loop, where he was greeted by about 20 members of Eric J. Scheidler’s Pro-Life Action League. Much to my surprise, the Pro-Lifers were not the only ones demonstrating.

As I arrived, a marching band could be heard as it lumbered along Adams toward LaSalle Street. I subsequently learned that the band was not an impromptu effort, but a working group of musicians dubbed the Windy City Ramblers. Including band members, 25 people passed by, several carrying large banners. Their demand: Biden should keep his campaign promises regarding curtailment of fossil fuels.

The fossil fuel opponents took up their position on the northwest corner, while the Pro-Lifers held the southwest corner of the intersection—although their signage depicting a 15-week old fetus was displayed at several points in front of the hotel.

I was standing next to Scheidler on the other side of Adams as the Ramblers played some raucous, funky music, at times sounding like the musicians backing Stevie Wonder on his classic Seventies albums. I turned to Scheidler, exclaiming, “You guys should have brought those drummers you had with you on Saturday.” He agreed, obviously impressed with what was happening across the street. Latter in the day, I saw Scheidler ask the leader of the Ramblers, Mario Abney, for his business card—apparently Abney is a hired gun, willing to make the Ramblers’ services available for a variety of events. I don’t know whether whether Abney accepts all engagements, or whether he and his bandmates must agree with a cause before agreeing to perform.

As was the case last summer at another Democratic fundraiser in Highland Park, the Pro-Lifers simply stood for an extended period of time holding their signs. No chants or jeers; just a reticent vibe. Many are discernibly uncomfortable standing in the spotlight.

Meanwhile the fossil fuel folks kept passing the bullhorn among themselves. The speeches tended to be short polemics, focused on Biden’s failed campaign promises, the evils of fossil fuels, and the disastrous consequences that come with climate change. Although the group’s signage was good, it was not the best visual representation of the evils arising from excessive fossil fuel usage. Mother Nature carried the day in that department. The stench and particulate in the air from the Canadian wildfires spoke volumes—it was extremely difficult exposing for both the shadows and the bright haze.

Yesterday, Chicago had the worst air in the world. Today, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and several other cities are vying for an honor that is largely tied to the vagaries wrapped up in the collision between upper and lower air currents. Chicago still ranks high in a competition that no city wants to compete in. No sign could possibly capture the horrible conditions. Just your nose and eyes.

One of individuals who took the bullhorn held a sign that simply said “Riot 2024,” an apparent reference to the Democratic National Convention that Chicago will be hosting next summer. I had earplugs in my ears, so I didn’t catch his all of his rhetoric, but I suspect he is not a friend of the police: His other sign read “More Trees; Fewer Cops: Stop Cop City!” A few minutes after this man passed the bullhorn to someone else, another person approached me, and said—I am paraphrasing—”He isn’t with us. We don’t support his ways.” The Lesson: Not all those concerned with climate change are singing from the same hymnal.

About an hour after President Biden arrived, a third group of demonstrators appeared out of thin air, setting up on the southeast corner of Adams and LaSalle. Their cause: Deportations. Specifically, they were focused on Francisco Panuco’s plight. On May 31, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up at Panuco’s house in Belmont Cragin, where he was taken into custody. The 43-year old had been in the country for nearly two decades, earning a living as a construction worker.

Panuco’s family is trying to stop his deportation, going so far as making a “direct” appeal to President Biden today. Some of the demonstrators held signs linking them to the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU). With the election of Mayor Branden Johnson—a former CTU organizer—the CTU has been emboldened, inserting itself into public policy debates that have little to do with education. The union consistently takes what is best termed “the Progressive” position. This seems to be part of an overall strategy to increase the union’s political power, which apparently union leaders hope translates into higher wages and benefits for their members.

Despite the efforts of the three groups, I doubt Biden even realized any demonstrators were on the street outside the Marriott. From past experience, I knew the President would not be entering through the hotel’s front door, which meant he missed all the hoopla. Security concerns place the president in a cocoon.

Given the Secret Service’s objectives, the Marriott may be one of the better places in Chicago for presidential appearances. The back of the hotel lines a large alleyway, with the Federal Reserve of Chicago lining the opposite side. There are massive iron gates enclosing space.

From across LaSalle, I could see the “Beast” parked next to a white tent. Presumably Biden was visible to no one as he stepped from the limousine into the protective cover provided by the tent. While I was able to walk south on LaSalle to view the alley, when I wanted to make the return trip to the intersection to the north, I was stopped, and told to head east, and then return to the intersection via Adams. Naturally, I did as instructed without objection: a smart course of action given the number of police, Cook County Sheriff’s Department officers, Secret Service agents, ambulances, fire trucks, bomb sniffing dogs, and other visible protective paraphernalia strategically arranged on the surrounding streets. Nobody was taking any BS today.

At some point, President Biden finished his fundraising efforts, but I was long gone by then, as were many of the demonstrators. One thing is for sure: The 2024 Democratic Convention should be interesting.

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Copyright 2023, Jack B. Siegel, All Rights Reserved. Do Not Alter, Copy, Download, Display, Distribute, or Reproduce Without the Prior Written Consent of the Copyright Holder.