On Saturday morning, May 22, 2017, 40,000 Chicagoans came together in defense of science. Many have probably forgotten the early days of Trump 1.0, but there were plenty of rallies and marches. Some very large.

With the guard rails long gone, Trump 2.0 has turned dark and ominous. In the first 40 days of his reign, Trump has shown himself to be a threat to everything, including: (i) longstanding international alliances that have produced 80 years of peace and prosperity; (ii) free trade, which has yielded lower prices for Americans and increased living standards for many around the world; (iii) our democratic institutions and the checks preventing one branch of government from dominating the other two; (iv) the free press, which assures that voters have the necessary facts, permitting them to make informed choices at the polls; (v) government agencies that address market failures; and (vi) government support for basic scientific and medical research that the private sector is unwilling to fund because the research does not yield immediate profits. Exacerbating the threat posed by Trump 2.0 are the purveyors of conspiracy theories who Trump has put in charge of important government agencies. After Robert F. Kennedy destroys Health and Human Services, will we all be headed to Canada this fall for our flu and Covid vaccines? How many kids will die of measles?

Six weeks into Trump 2.0, we’ve seen the usual suspects take to the streets, including abortion-rights, climate change, and LGBQT activists. Both the Ukrainians and the Palestinians have regularly mounted demonstrations, as have the RevComs (the Revolutionary Communists), social justice warriors, and the Socialists.

Today, at noon, the scientists and medical professionals rejoined the fray, making their stand in the sleet-soaked Federal Plaza, which Trump may have put on the shopping block—the adjoining Mies van er Rohe Post Office and Everett McKinley Dirksen Federal Building are on DOGE’s chopping block, making the plaza’s fate unclear. About 250 people turned out dressed in puffy parkas, with dozens of umbrellas providing protective covering. People huddled together does not produce memorable imagery, which like it or not, is a critical element, particularly when three television stations are covering the event.

I spent 45 minutes in the plaza. The rally was scheduled to run three hours, which was far too long because the runtime did not include a march. At the makeshift podium under the watchful eye of Alexander Calder’s Flamingo, scientists and medical researchers spoke about National Institute of Health and Federal other funding cuts and freezes. Everyone I heard was articulate—no surprise because the people I heard speak were all affiliated with local universities. I learned later that Senator Richard J. Durbin put in an appearance.

But no new ground was covered. Everyone in the crowd knew that Trump and Musk were curtailing vital scientific research, producing false economy. To hell with research on the root causes of cancer, Alzheimer’s, bird flu, HIV, and other diseases (unless you or a loved one becomes a victim).

Chicago’s rally was one of many throughout the United States, all operating under the Stand for Science moniker. Despite the best of intentions, the Chicago rally was a bust. Those speaking stood on the plaza’s concrete surface, making them largely invisible to anyone further back in the crowd. Even for those in the front row, the faces of those speaking were obscured by a large microphone. I saw very few kids, who were the mainstay of the May 22, 2017 demonstration. With their natural curiosity, the kids are the strongest allies of science, particularly because their young faces represent the future, making them media favorites.

Why schedule a demonstration on a Friday instead of a Saturday? Why schedule it in early March, when the weather is iffy, rather than late April or early May? Why not include a march to a hospital or other scientific institution? How about a celebrity speaker—a Nobel Laurette? What I witnessed was ‘Demonstration 101’ malpractice, which is a shame. The demonstration target audience includes just the people who need to take to the streets if the Trump agenda is to be thwarted: people who don’t regularly demonstrate.

Hopefully this is not the last Chicago demonstration on behalf of science and facts. I can only hope that the organizers mount something like what transpired in 2017. What I saw today was a missed opportunity and a waste of time.

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

Back to the Future: A Demonstration for Science During Trump 1.0 on May 22, 2017

Yep, I was photographing demonstrations back then. Hopefully, my efforts have improved with experience.

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