On April 15, Chicagoans joined the worldwide day of protest for a National Economic Blockade by obstructing Chicago’s largest airport, O’Hare International. The day of protest dubbed A15, short for April 15, marked a historic level of direct actions and civil disobedience around the world. Entire weapons manufacturers, highways, ports, and airports were shut down across the U.S. to create an economic cost for the United States, aiding and abetting Israel’s war crimes and perpetration of the Gaza genocide. These action in the U.S. joined those in Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, to disrupt the entire global economy and flow of goods. A banner held by demonstrators in Melbourne precisely summarizes the central goal of A15: “Disrupt the Economy to Disrupt the War Machine.”
The Chicago O’Hare Airport is a significant economic hub for the nation, with an estimated 73.9 million passengers having traveled through O’Hare in 2023 alone, one of the busiest airports in the country. Chicago activists joined the global efforts in economic blockades for Gaza by blocking the I-190 highway leading up to terminals 1,2 and 3 for over an hour and 20 minutes. Led by organizations such as Chicago Dissenters and Direct Actions for Palestine, this demonstration set to disrupt the airport while also targeting Boeing Airways for their role in crimes against Gaza. The fifth-largest weapons manufacturer in the world builds the weapons that have been used by Israel in its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, which include F-15 fighter jets, Apache AH-64 attack helicopters, unguided small-diameter bombs (SDBs), and munition kits.
The Chicago demonstrators lined the major highway, with their arms bound within PVC piping. 40 demonstrators were arrested at around 8:45 a.m. and held for over 20 hours.
Police attack peaceful marchers
Separate from events that morning, the day was set to continue for Chicagoans with a large-scale march from the Federal Plaza at 3 p.m., led by organizations of the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP). Yet in an unexpected event, unlike many of Chicago’s usual weekly marches, the Chicago Police Department informed protestors they would not be allowed to peacefully march through the streets as they usually do. Police aggression escalated throughout the day.
Marchers made it clear to police that they would not be held back from their usual practice of marching through the streets of Chicago. The protestors attempted to commence their march by heading down South Dearborn Street. Cops immediately blockaded the end of the block, to which hundreds of protestors began to march the opposite way. The police immediately began to run from one end to the opposite end of the block. Marchers began to push with their banners to get past. The crowd suddenly decided to shift directions and march perpendicular towards W Adams Street.
Chicago Police proceeded to drive in with cars, forcing the Chicago protestors to go through the alleyways. For over two hours, protestors were confined to one singular block of W Adams Street. Two peaceful protestors, an undergraduate student and a medical student, were grabbed and arrested by CPD while their mother screamed for them and repeatedly announced that they were just standing.
The chaos ensued after the crowd was able to march towards W. Wabash, near the Chicago River, and demonstrated a sit. At this location, CPD abruptly began an escalation and began to arrest key leaders and organizers from the crowd. Police walked into the middle of the march and formed a ring around organizers to maintain distance from the rest of the crowd, trying to pull organizers away, and began zip-tying organizers inside the ring.
12 protestors, including a journalist standing on the pavement, were arrested and put into CPD vehicles. A total of 14 protestors were taken by CPD, and after inquiring with an officer about the reasons for their arrests, the officer alleged that there was reasonable suspicion and would provide no further details. The two young students have been held for up to 32 hours.
At 9 p.m., groups of protestors stood outside the police stations, chanting for the release of the detainees, and immediate calls for support were made across platforms. Hatem Abudayyeh, of the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), spoke to Mondoweiss:
“The police decided they were gonna stop us from marching. They said that we weren’t going to go any further. And we demanded to continue to march because that’s what we do. It is our free speech right, it’s our constitutional right, and we’ve been doing this for six months.
After they stopped us there, they put their hands on us. They initiated the violence, they started pushing and shoving. People have reported that they were being grabbed by the police. They initially arrested two young men, two brothers, and when that happened we made a decision — a tactical decision on the spot, to say ‘we’re not moving until those two brothers are released.’ And what the police did at that point was they singled out the leaders of the coalition. When they went after the leaders of the coalition, they knew exactly what they were doing. They were trying to cut us off from the knees.”
Preparation for the DNC?
Ahead of the Democratic National Convention, set to be hosted in Chicago this upcoming August, many local organizers on April 15 wondered if the escalation in aggression and brutality was a means of intimidation, aimed to send a message for this summer.
“Chicago, the feds, and other law enforcement organizations are working to try to keep us from protesting within sight and sound of the DNC. This could be one of those shots across the bow, by the police as well, saying ‘we know you are organizing for the DNC, we know you all are mobilizing tens of thousands for the DNC, and we want you to know that we’re not going to make it easy for you and repress you,’” one anonymous Chicago organizer told Mondoweiss. “They violated our constitutional rights and we’re going to be taking this to the city council. And we’re going to ask why the Chicago Police Department did this to our protest movement.”
“I usually drum at the protests, we use the drums to hold the tempo of people so that everyone can chant together,” protestor and activist, Hamza A. told Mondoweiss, “One of the cops jumped up from the back and punched me right in the face, and as you can see, I got cut in the face right here. they also ripped my entire shirt off my body.”
“They get trained by Israelis, that’s what we always chant and they were using their training to assault citizens. We are all citizens of this country,” Hamza recounted as he used his keffiyeh to cover his back which was now exposed underneath his torn-apart shirt.
Several counts of peaceful protestors went home with bruises and marks across their faces and bodies, and unwavering, have made it clear they will continue to march through the streets of Chicago.
IMO, there is a step needed to “legitimize” mass actions directed at the economy. Mondoweiss could be facilitative. A consensus toward a plan or vision for a workable future for Jerusalem that the average American will respect.
The wanton destruction of Gaza, enabled by Sinwar’s call, has offended humanity, gotten the world’s attention and opened an opportunity to advance the Palestinian cause.
Necessary resources to rebuild Gaza may be continent on such a pan.