Apr 21

Apr 21 Captivity Kills

Demonstrations, Protest, Public Declarations

“You don’t know me but I’m your brother
I was raised here in this living hell
You don’t know my kind in your world
Fairly soon, the time will tell

(Taking it to the streets)
Taking it to the streets”

— Doobie Brothers, Takin' It To the Streets (1976)

Chicago’s Ukrainian Community has not held a large demonstration since February 24, 2024, when they commemorated Russia’s invasion of their homeland two years earlier. Given the debate that has raged since last October as to whether the U.S. should continue providing aid to Ukraine, the community’s absence from the streets in recent weeks has been surprising. Not everyone, however, has been silent.

During the last several weeks, a small group has taken to the streets, hoping to keep Ukraine’s plight in the public mind. The first of these mini demonstrations took place in Ukrainian Village five weeks ago.

The group, however, has deployed a clever tactic for its two subsequent outings. Rather than holding the demonstrations downtown or in Ukrainian Village, they have headed to two multi-corner intersections. Two Sundays ago, they stood in the cold rain on the sidewalks at the intersection of Milwaukee, Damen, and North Avenues in Wicker Park.

Today, the group headed to Lakeview, where they stood at the intersection of Clark Street, Broadway, and Diversey, with 10 to 20 people stationed on each corner. In front of Stan’s Donuts, one group held individual letters spelling out “#FreeAzov”—a reference to the Ukrainian soliders who defended Mariupol during the early days of the invasion and who are now held in Russian captivity. Remember the siege of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works?

Many of the other demonstrators wore Ukrainian flags draped over their shoulders. Others held signs and placards visible to passing traffic. Several signs were written entirely in Ukrainian, suggesting that some demonstrators are recent émigrés. One young man was wheelchair-bound. He may be one of the wounded Ukrainian veterans who have come to Chicago for medical treatment. My understanding is that the Ukrainian Community provides these veterans with financial assistance.

There were very few speeches. Mostly chants. “Thank You USA” being the most prevalent one; a clear recognition of the passage on Saturday of the $61 billion Ukrainian aid package by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate is expected to pass the bill on Tuesday, with weapons already being prepared for shipment in anticipation of President Biden signature shortly after Senate passage.

If the demonstration, which ran from 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM, had a theme, it was “Captivity Kills.” Having just read Yardslav Trofimov’s Our Enemies Will Vanish, an account focused largely on the war’s first year, I fully grasp the sentiment reflected in today’s slogan of choice. And I can highly recommend Trofimov’s book, which is a journalist’s firsthand, and at times, harrowing account of his travels throughout war-torn Ukraine, with missiles often landing too close for comfort.

Other groups, including the pro-Palestinian forces, should take a page out of the Ukrainian Community’s playbook. By heading to neighborhoods that normally don’t experience protest activity, the Ukrainians are spreading their message far and wide. The pro-Palestinian Community returns weekly to the same downtown locations. As those who regularly inhabit those locations become inured to the Palestinians, the rallies and marches become insular affairs, meeting the emotional needs of the demonstrators rather than vehicles for informing the public throughout the greater Chicago area.

We probably won’t see additional localized Ukrainian demonstrations until sometime after May 11th because the Ukrainian Community has a large demonstration planned in Jane Byrne Park that day. But I bet we will see more of the localized rallies throughout the summer months. As for May 11th, if you haven’t seen one of the community’s large demonstrations, you should consider attending the May 11th gathering. People are friendly and appreciative, and the organizers always offer interesting theatrics and spectacle.

And to their credit, the demonstrators were all business today. I saw no one eating a donut from Stan’s, at least during the demonstration. Had Stan’s had their act together, they would have been selling donuts with a blueberry glaze on half the donut, and a lemon glaze on the other half. As a nice finishing touch, Stan’s might have written ‘Slava Ukraini’ on top of the glaze using a raspberry concoction as a substitute for Russian blood.

[I generally don’t take positions regarding the events I cover. I make an exception for Ukrainian and anti-Putin Russian demonstrations. There is only one correct viewpoint.]

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order.]