The Walk Against War 2004, organized by the Chicago Anarchist, Anti-Authoritarian and Autonomist Coalition (CAAAC), began with twenty people at 6:45 am on the far South Side of Chicago. Black flags waved to the sound of drums as the march made it’s way on the sidewalk to Pilsen, stopping for a rally at 18th Street and Blue Island.

Here the march was met by a group of thirty fellow protesters and members of the Pilsen Community. Speakers from the neighborhood brought a loudspeaker and tied the US invasions around the world to the cuts in funding for healthcare, education and housing.

The Walk Against War reached the Education Not Empire Youth and Student Rally at UIC just in time for a delicious meal served up by local Food Not Bombs groups. After the meal, the Walk headed downtown, growing to over 300 people by the time it reached Michigan Ave.

Although organizers of the big march that gathered on Michigan and Pearson tried to negotiate with the cops and march down Michigan Ave., they finally gave in to the police and marched down Chicago instead.

A portion of the march attempted to break away and get to Michigan Ave. to bring the anti-war message to the busiest street in the City. After attempts to push through the police, the break away was turned around and it returned to the main march. Three people were arrested.

The rally in Federal Plaza began at about 2 PM. The plaza was so full that all of the marchers could not fit inside it. Total numbers of marchers were between 5 and 10 thousand.

At the rally in the plaza, some protesters noticed signs held up by members of ProtestWarrior. This right-wing group attempts to infiltrate and disrupt protests and their message was not welcome in the Plaza. Intervention by some of the people in the plaza caused all of the ProtestWarrior signs to be taken down and destroyed and the right-wingers ran away from the Anti-War rally.

The 30-Mile march was all over the news, and it was great to see banners reading “Abolish the Wage System,” and “Fight the Rich, Not Their Wars” on TV.

For more photos, visit www.MidwestUnrest.net