All in Public Declarations
Three men were executed in Iran this past Friday. Today, members of Chicago’s Iranian community gathered in Millennium Park for a demonstration followed by a march designed to highlight these and other executions of political prisoners by the Iranian authorities. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
A small group of Assyrians demonstrated in Federal Plaza on May 19, 2023, asking the United States government for assistance in reclaiming their homelands. Unfortunately, the demonstrations was largely ineffective in advancing their cause. Here are my thoughts on the Assyrian cause, as well as on how they can improve the effectiveness of future efforts. Of course, I have included my images from the demonstration.
I spent Mother’s Day with members of Chicago’s Ukrainian community, who were commemorating the Azov Steel Plant fighters. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
Earlier today, I attended a rally on Michigan Avenue in support of imprisoned dissident Alexei Navalny, imprisoned Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and other political prisoners. Here are my thought about and images from this inspiring demonstration.
Following the May Day celebration in Union Park, I headed to the Office of the Consulate General of the Philippines where a demonstration was scheduled to protest the upcoming meeting between President Biden and President Bongbong Marcos of the Philippines. The demonstration placed a hot spotlight on some important foreign policy issues. Here are my thoughts about and images from the event.
I recently attended a demonstration by Chicago’s Tibetan protesting the portrayal of the Dalai Lama following a recent incident involving a young boy who the Dalai Lama kissed on the lips. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
Today I attended an abortion-rights march organized by Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
Indivisible Chicago organized a demonstration at Federal Plaza today in support of Tennessee Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pierson, as well as to draw attention to gun violence. Here are my images from and thoughts about the demonstration.
Tonight I headed to the UIC Campus for a student demonstration opposing Far Right Firebrand Charlie Kirk’s and his right to speak. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
I attended a Ukrainian rally and march commemorating the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The event was centered on 365 signs illustrating the the war’s cost. Here are my thoughts on and images from the event.
By my estimate 25 or so members of Chicago’s Ukrainian community gathered outside the Civic Opera House tonight to protest the Joffrey Ballet’s performance of a ballet based on Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. While the imagery was great, the message—a condemnation of all things Russian, including Leo Tolstoy—was less than pitch-perfect. Here are my thoughts about and images from the demonstration.
Somewhere around 200 Chicagoans turned on a chilly Chicago evening to honor Tyre Nichols and other who have died at the hands of the police.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Ukraine Unity Day commemoration, which was held at Chicago’s Ukrainian Cultural Center.
Tonight, Chicago’s Ukrainian community gathered in front of the Old Water Tower to commemorate Holodomor—the 1932-33 famine that killed between three and ten million Ukrainian. Nature did not cause the famine. It was man-made, the author being Joseph Stalin, who used genocide to suppress an Ukrainian independence movement. The Ukrainian community draws the obvious parallels between Stalin and Putin, so this commemoration was really a protest against the ongoing war in Ukraine. Here are my thoughts about the demonstration, together with my images from the event.
I stop to photograph this year’s Columbus Day Parade on my way to my annual physical. The parade is a shadow of the one staged for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; although the film did not identify the parade as the Columbus Day Parade. I ended up racing around so much that the doctor had to wait 20 minutes before taking my blood pressure because I was dripping with sweat when I arrived in his office—112/78.
Here are my thoughts about what I saw and the images I captured.
Saturday’s abortion rights demonstration in Chicago’s Federal Plaza proved more interesting than I expected. A large group of Iranians participated, hoping to shine a light on the rights of Iranian women in light of the death of Masha Amini while in custody. I also was physically attacked (not by the Iranians). Here are thoughts on the experience, as well as my images.
Today, I stumbled onto a demonstration and march held to draw attention to the plight of Ethiopia’s Tigrayan civilians, who face famine, rape, and genocide. The marchers were particularly agitated about drone sales to the Ethiopian Government by the Turks and the Chinese. Here are my thoughts about and images from what proved to be a dynamic and color demonstration.
I attended the second rally on Capitol Hill held by members of the Highland Park community who are seeking a ban on assault weapons. Here are my thoughts on and images from the rally.
Today a group of demonstrators called for prison reform, particularly with respect to the Menard Correctional facility in downstate Illinois. Many of the speakers were related to inmates at Menard, resulting in some highly impactful speeches. Here are my thoughts, together with the images I made during the 75-minute rally.
