Several hundred spectacularly costumed anti-capitalists gathered in Wicker Park this afternoon for "Capitalism Gives Me the Creeps", a spirited neighborhood march that dodged police harassment and thoroughly delighted both participants and passers-by.

Participants included numerous Billionaires for Bush and Gore, some truly alarming capitalist zombies and ghouls, a stiltwalker, puppets, drummers, skateboarders, and two contingents of radical cheerleaders.

Food Not Bombs offered up plenty of free, hearty grub for participants before the step-off shortly after 3PM.

The march struck out from Wicker Park -- where participants immediately ditched the sidewalk and took the streets -- and threaded northwest on Milwaukee to Western, from there north to Fullerton, east on Fullerton to Ashland, and north on Ashland to a picket at the Treasure Island on Broadway, where marchers stopped to lend solidarity to striking food workers. The remaining contingent, considerably diminished in size, headed up to the 7PM Halloween parade in Boys, where they were reportedly warmly received.

Police presence was surprisingly -- and pleasantly -- low, and people marched largely unmolested. Observers speculate that the police may have forgotten to scan Chicago Indymedia for vital 'intelligence' related to the march (our calendar section...), an apparently serious law enforcement lapse in copper site scanning (and spamming) on prospective naughtyness on the part of local youth. Chicago police 'intelligence' also apparently failed to note a nice promotional plug for the event in this week's Reader, a failure that at least one observer has argued supports the speculation that police flacks Dave Bayless and Pat Camden cannot read. Others have noted that, since organizers did not ship out a press release, the usual corporate shills were denied the opportunity to suck up to police brass by passing same along as 'intelligence.' It has also been speculated that, with about a begillion small kids and their parents out on the streets trick-or-treating, along with a stepped up holiday round of accompanying drunkenness and disorderliness, the flatfoots were just too busy. Hmm...

Police did attempt to collar one individual, who was promptly unarrested. An assault also occurred earlier in the afternoon, when an apparently unhinged pro-war person assaulted a man on his way to the parade. Sources report that the attacker had been travelling with his companion and child on the Blue Line with several costumed protesters who flyered fellow travelers and staged guerilla theater on the el. After the thespians exited at the Damen station to attend the march, the man reportedly grabbed one of the costumed anticapitalists in the stairwell, punching the marcher several times. Onlookers pulled the dipshit -- who was described as 'large and way hostile' off the hapless Halloween celebrant. Witnesses believe he'd gotten his undies in a bunch over the anti-war stance of the victim. What a wanker. Always great to know freedom of thought and speech continues to thrive in the ideals of pro-war zealots and regime apologists...not.

Will post photos when I can get Windows XP to recognize my card reader. Stupid fucking Windows.