Protesters take message to Trump Tower in Chicago

Chronicle Media
Saturday’s protest began with a rally at Federal Plaza, corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets, followed by a march to Trump Tower by the Chicago River and Wabash Avenue. (Photo by Nick Hanson/for Chronicle Media)

Saturday’s protest began with a rally at Federal Plaza, corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets, followed by a march to Trump Tower by the Chicago River and Wabash Avenue. (Photo by Nick Hanson/for Chronicle Media)

Protesters vowing to build a large scale protest movement to resist further attacks on immigrants, Muslims, women and other scapegoated targets of the Donald Trump campaign for the presidency marched Saturday in Chicago.

The protest began with a rally at Federal Plaza, corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets, followed by a march to Trump Tower by the Chicago River and Wabash Avenue.

“The election of Trump will surely lead to a deep instability in society that will only endanger the most vulnerable among us,” said John Beacham, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition and initiator of Chicago’s 10,000-strong protest the night after the election, in a press release. “It is inevitable that millions of people will actively resist a Trump administration. A grassroots, fighting progressive movement will emerge to protect people victimized by the hard-right cabal that is set to occupy Washington. The aim of our protest on Saturday is to give voice and expression to the overwhelming majority of people in Chicago who utterly reject the open racism, sexism and bigotry of Trump.

Chicago Police make sure the protest doesn’t get out of hand. (Photo by Nick Hanson/for Chronicle Media)

Chicago Police make sure the protest doesn’t get out of hand. (Photo by Nick Hanson/for Chronicle Media)

“Years of ‘dog whistle’ sloganeering by Republican primary opponents, and the bailouts of the banks and the mass deportations of immigrants by the Obama administration have paved the way for the far right, openly racist populism of Trump,” said Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network and one of the protest organizers.

“As shown by the signs and voices of people out in the streets beginning (Nov. 16) night, protesters are angry at having an open racist, Islamophobe, sexual assaulter legitimizing such disgusting ideas using the pulpit of the White House. One sign held by a young woman Wednesday night put it particularly well: ‘The voices of all our abusers are now the president.’ ”

 

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