Read on Twitter
OK time to post a few photos from Saturday's protest in the loop. There's so much extant video that I'm won't be doxxing anyone, and I've checked carefully to be sure that there's nothing in these shots that can even remotely be construed as a crime, by protesters anyway.
(By the way, I found nothing in all of the 1000+ photos I took Saturday that could be even remotely construed as a crime by protesters.)
While protesters were gathering, these two officers were watching from behind a fence, sometimes taking photos or video. Note that they aren't wearing nameplates or badge numbers, even though one is wearing a CPD star (so they clearly aren't undercover).
Protesters marched from the Bean to the intersection at Washington and Michigan, where organizers explained their demands and recounted how black and indigenous struggles have historically been intertwined.
From there the group marched north along Michigan toward the raised bridge at Wacker.
At Michigan and Wacker, there was a police presence immediately to the east, and also half a block to the west. Bike marshals set up a bike line to the east to protect the group, and police set up a bike line opposite them.
At this point a SWAT team arrived with heavy shields, pepper spray, and what I believe (?) is a tear gas unit (under the arm of the SWAT officer to the left).
Protesters donned ponchos and goggles and asked for umbrellas to be brought to the bike line as protection from spray and gas. After a short time, police violently ripped the umbrellas away and then pushed into the crowd.
Hands up.
The SWAT team strode into the middle of the intersection and began to spray protesters. I ended up with a tiny drop of spray in my left eye (the one I use for photography) and had to seek help from a medic, so not many pictures of this time.
Here is a great one from Rick Majewski though. https://twitter.com/rickmajewski/status/1295115080338726912
There were about 30 min between the time police ripped away the umbrellas until the organizers told everyone we were headed back south. Police pushed the group out of the intersection even though some people were still being treated for pepper spray.
As protesters headed south on Michigan, a white shirt police officer yelled "Forward March!" and the cops began marching and beating their shields with their batons.
Bike marshals set up at the back of the group, moving as they could, to keep people safe from the oncoming line of police.
I count over 150 police officers in this photo.
After a pause at Michigan and Randolph, we headed west, followed by the cops. I started to feel claustrophobic, because bike cops were sent ahead on either side of the crowd, leaving only the path west. Raised bridges, and bike cops blocking streets in the distance.
Police began grabbing bikes and spraying people again at Randolph and Dearborn. At least one medic was sprayed.
I don't know what CPD service wears plaid shirts and no name plates, but this officer is coughing without a mask within six feet of the CPD superintendent. Lots of people were coughing because there was so much pepper spray in the air.
This is when I stopped photographing to help people who had been sprayed or getting treated -- I was watching as police advanced and trying to keep people ahead of the line. Many were in agony and some were swallowed up by the police line.
Near Lasalle the cops seemed to be trying to get ahead and surround us, so people broke into a run to the south with cops pursuing. Some of the group headed into an alley off Madison and were being beaten. I was with perhaps 100 people who were surrounded on Lasalle.
Bike officers pushed the crowd back (onto itself) yelling "Move! Move! Move! Move!" in unison.
One man was beaten and arrested right in front of me. Also notice the rubber bullet on the ground. I didn't see or hear it fired.
Lines of police with bikes or shields held our group tightly on all sides against a building. This is called kettling. Some people were still incapacitated from the pepper spray.
We were in the kettle for a long time, expecting to be beaten or arrested. Eventually police started releasing people a few at a time, searching our belongings. This is an aerial view (not taken by me).
Epilogue: When I was at this event on Monday, I met someone who I’d seen Saturday. It turned out he was a medic, and after exchanging stories it turned out he was the very medic who had helped me. So grateful I got to thank him in person! https://twitter.com/paulmgoyette/status/1295506353285484545
