Serene Sunday is interrupted to report from sunny, hot Chicago. The NATO summit meeting is starting today at McCormick Place, just 9 blocks south from me. Meanwhile, in Grant Park, the protesters are expected to hold a rally and then march south on Michigan Avenue a block away, to the site of the summit. Needless to say, the area is a bit anxious.
So far, demonstration have been pretty peaceful with a few scrums with police. But nobody knows what could happen if more violent elements join. Downtown and the South Loop has been preparing for this like the coming of WWIII. Police and private security are crawling all over the place. My building is on semi-lockdown. If we aren’t instantly recognized, we need ID to get in and out, pedestrians and motorists. Anything that can used to throw or smash have been removed. All the streets around me are now blocked off. Lake Shore Drive is closed which is almost unheard of. Many of the businesses have boarded over their windows. Choppers are flying back and forth. I’ve not seen anything like this.
Right now it seems like everybody is out walking the dogs and milling around in pockets. Nobody knows what will happen. Hopefully it will be a non-event.
In the meantime, enjoy Peace Train by Cat Stevens.
Hope Patty has ID!
Not a comfortable weekend, judiang. Why can’t they hold these things away from cities – Pitcairn Island, maybe?
Thanks for posting this song. May his hopes be realized in our days.
Hi Judiang,
Thanks for the first hand update about the NATO Summit protester. Though I dare say you would rather be “embedded” with The Hobbit folks in New Zealand. Maybe you and EV can switch places? Ha!
Any hoo., wIshing you an uneventful few days while NATO is in Chicago.
Lovely song, by the way!
Cheers! Grati ;->
Your style is unique compared to other people I have read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I’ll just bookmark this web site.
Hi Judiang, I’m catching up on some blog reading. RL just seems to get in the way of my RA life!
Hope Chicago has recovered from the NATO summit. All I saw about it was a pic of our Prime Minister arriving & thinking ahhh that’s what Judi was talking about on twitter!
I do have a small association with Chicago. On the RAC forum there is someone who has organised the knitting of scarves for the homeless. This lady is in Perth Australia & would you believe the scarves go to Chicago. Yep, before Christmas I bundled up the pile of scarves I had knitted & sent them to Chicago – from Canberra Australia 🙂