On July 4th, members of Chicago Palestinian Community held a rally and march on Michigan Avenue demanding Palestinian independence. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration and march.
All in Chicago
GAYestinian Pride
Today, Chicago’s LGBQT+ Community staged the 54th Annual Gay Pride Parade. In keeping with my activity over the last nine months, I decided to focus on the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had obtained a coveted slot in the parade’s abbreviated lineup. It was the right decision, because it permitted me to photograph their efforts, as well as the colorful characters lining the parade route, as I walked the route with the pro-Palestinian forces from the start to the finish line.
Opposing Putin
Members of Chicago’s Russian émigré community came together Saturday to celebrate Ilya Yashin’s 41st birthday. Yashin is a Russian dissident who spoke out against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. A close associate of the late Alexei Navalny, Yeshin is now serving a prison sentence in a Siberian prison. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration—one of the many coordinated demonstrations around the world.
Bluesfest 2024--Day 3
The 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest came to a conclusion today with a closing performance by Buddy Guy, a Blues legend. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
Bluesfest 2024--Day 2
The 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest continued today with performances by Southern Avenue, Vanessa Collier, and a Centennial Tribute to Dinah Washington featuring Dee Alexander. Here are my observations about and images from the Day 2.
Bluesfest 2024--Day 1
The 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest kicked off its residency in Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion tonight with performances by Corey Harris and Mr. Sipp, together with a centennial tribute to Jimmy Rogers, one of the architects of the Muddy Waters sound. Here are my thoughts about and images from the today’s festivities.
Calling Out Mondelēz
Members of Chicago’s Ukrainian Community held a rally outside the Wrigley Building on May 18, 2024, the location of Mondelēz International’s offices. The company is the maker of Oreo Cookies and Ritz Crackers, among other well-know snack foods. They continue to operate inside Russia, which is why the Ukrainians were demanding that Mondelēz put humanitarian concerns above profits. Here are my thoughts about and images from the rally and subsequent march.
DePaul U Aftermath
Today, I headed over to DePaul University after the Chicago Police Department cleared the Gaza Solidarity encampment in the Fullerton Avenue Quad. Here are my observations about and images from the event.
Flag Raising (Israeli)
On Tuesday, members of Chicago’s Jewish Community celebrated the 76th anniversary of Israel’s birth by raising the Israeli flag in Daley Plaza. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.
Civility Breaks Out
On Sunday afternoon, the pro-Palestinian students in DePaul University’s Fullerton Avenue Quad still occupied their Gaza Solidarity encampment. Five block to the east, a group of Jewish students and community members held their own gathering at the corner of Fullerton, Lincoln and Halstead. Here are my thoughts about and images from the competing events.
Palestinian Moms Speak
On Sunday morning, I attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Jane Byrne Park celebrating Mother’s Day. Here are my thoughts about and images from what was a textbook example of how a demonstration should be structured.
Flag Raising (Palestinian)
The Palestinian Community held a ceremonial flag raising in Daley Plaza on Saturday. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.
Ukrainian Moms Speak
Chicago’s Ukrainian community commemorated Mother’s Day with a rally in Jane Byrne Park (location of the historic water tower). The moms were out with their kids, handing out flowers to shoppers on Michigan Avenue while pleading Ukraine’s case. Here are my thoughts about and images from the day.
Jammin' With Joe
President Joe Biden attended a campaign fundraiser at Chicago’s Palmer House late Thursday afternoon. Chicago’s pro-Palestinian forces took to the streets, letting ‘Genocide Joe’ know exactly what they think of him. Here are my thoughts about and images from an event that turned the downtown into a parking lot during evening rush hour.
CPD Permits March
On Saturday, April 20, 2024, pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied and then staged a march on Michigan Avenue, followed by a symbolic sit-in at the intersection of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue. Unlike this past Monday, the Chicago Police Department permitted the march to proceed. For my thoughts about the demonstration and my images, click on the image below.
Humanities & Happiness
I had the opportunity to attend a conversation between New York Times columnist David Brooks and his wife, Ann Snyder tonight. The focus was on the role of the humanities in our life, particularly as people find themselves midway into their careers or racing toward retirement. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event, which was held in the David Rubenstein Forum on the University of Chicago’s Hyde Park campus.
Six Months In
Today, I attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration marking the six-month anniversary of the war between Israel and Hamas that began on October 7, 2024. Here are my thoughts about and images from today’s demonstration.
Way of the Cross
Chicago’s Daley Plaza was served as the first station for the annual Way of the Cross processional through the streets of Chicago on Good Friday ending at Holy Name Cathedral. Here are my thoughts from and images from what was an uplifting event—even for nonbelievers.
Eric Alexander
Late Sunday afternoon, I caught Eric Alexander’s set at Chicago’s famed Jazz Showcase. Here are my thoughts about and images from Alexander’s performance.
Greg and Fred
Saturday night I stopped by Mike Reed’s Constellation Chicago to hear alto saxophonist Greg Ward pay tribute to the great Fred Anderson. Here are my thoughts about and images from the performance.