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Open letter on M20, to my alderman

This is the letter I'm sending to my alderman. Remember that Chicago aldermen passed an anti-war resolution -- this isn't like a letter to your senator. There may be a real chance for redress. Find your alderman here: cityofchicago.org/CityCouncil
Dear Patrick O'Connor,





I attended the March 20th anti-war protest, and was shocked at the police response. The police were not particularly brutal -- though I know some of the arrested were abused -- but the behavior and strategy of the police was disturbing.





The protesters were absolutely and completely peaceful -- I cannot emphasize this enough. Any police officer who says anything otherwise is outright lying -- we did not use abusive language, we did not bang on cars, we did not attempt to enter private property, we made no attempt to damage anything. In the few cases where people were getting overly enthusiastic -- for instance, cursing the police or standing on vehicles, the protesters reprimanded the individual without police intervention. It was truly a model demonstration.





The police response in the beginning was very good -- it was not at all coercive, and even felt friendly. It made me feel like the city respected us, and respected our need and our right to express our feelings in these historic times.





This is why it was all the more shocking when the police response so suddenly changed -- and this when the protest was just winding down, and when rush hour was over. While I won't go into the finer details (though I would be happy to share both my experience and others), the police deliberately trapped and detained us on the street. When they say that protesters refused to disperse it is an outright lie -- we were blocked off on both sides by police, and people who attempted to leave were arrested. People who even attempted to engage the police, to figure out what they wanted us to do, were arrested. Only by fearfully huddling in the center of the enclosed area could a person avoid arrest.





Even in the face of arrest people were extremely peaceful. People were even surrendering to the police, putting their hands together to be cuffed. I felt like we were cattle, being guided by our long-time protectors to the slaughterhouse. Looking back on it I feel angry at myself for my complete passivity. I was nearly ready to thank them for letting us go, I was afraid to even express dissatisfaction for the way we were being treated. A citizen should never have to thank anyone for being free -- my freedom is my most basic right as a human and as an American. That the police made me forget that angers me greatly.








I have seen police brutality, and it is horrible. But I've never seen anything like this. Unlike the brutality, this was not fueled by passion, not even a passion that was manipulated into existance. It was a punishment, not for our actions, not even for our expression, but for our belief.





I wish we lived in a country where police, when asked to do something so clearly against every principal of law and the constitution, would refuse. But we do not -- they have been too well trained to take orders. When faced with the sinister intentions of leaders, the police are used as tools. This sinister leadership must be removed.





I know the arrestees will be taking civil actions against the city, and I hope them well. They deserve redress (I suspect you will find that the redress need not take the form of money). But I still do not believe that the city of Chicago is our enemy. I don't want to give up on the hope that the anti-war movement will not be oppressed by the city government. I love this city, and when I act on my beliefs I do because I want to save this city, this country, and this world from what I believe are horrible mistakes in the making.





We took to the streets with selfless intentions, this no one can deny. On March 20th our actions were solely focused on expressing our beliefs, we had no coercive intent. We were public citizens, a rare breed in these days, and we deserved to be treated better. We deserved to have our citizenship respected. This cannot be explained away as a misunderstanding. This cannot be explained as merely an overzealous desire to ensure security. This cannot even be explained as an attempt to ensure the smooth running of the city. This was an attempt to strike fear into the hearts of those that would speak up. This was an attempt to keep citizens out of public life. This is not just the theft of a government from its people, as happened in November 2000, but a theft of our voices, stolen from our own throats. When the media does not hear us, when our federal government does not hear us, we finally resorted to speaking for ourselves -- not through proxies, but literally speaking for ourselves. There is no action more American, and the police stole that from us.





Mr. O'Connor, I implore you -- represent me. Represent America. There must be redress for this wrong. We cannot allow this deliberate repression to go unchecked.





It would be my pleasure to speak with you or your staff about this event, and I would be happy to facilitate contact with individuals who were arrested. It would mean very much to me to receive a response.





Thank you for your time and attention,


Ian Bicking
 
 

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