6 Ways of Looking at a War Crimes Alliance: NATO in Chicago, May 2012

As we prepare to welcome Afghan peace and justice activist Malalai Joya to Chicago over the next few days -- part of her national speaking tour -- it seems like an appropriate time to remember the protests against NATO in Chicago in the spring of 2012.

Below are pictures and links. What do YOU remember about the NATO protests?

People from World Can't Wait, Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, and other groups went out onto the streets and showed the faces of the victims to anyone willing to look.

(See Making Drone Killing 100% VISIBLE in Chicago!)

As the Obama administration expressed fury at Pakistani resistance to further NATO war operations and excludes Pakistan's president from the NATO Summit, members of the wider community gathered to memorialize people killed by U.S. airstrikes and drone attacks in Pakistan and in the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as U.S./NATO operations in Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere. Recognizing what veterans on Sunday called "the burden of blood that has stained these medals", Trinity Church opened its lawn to expressions of grief and remembrance by the entire community.

(See #NATOvictims )

Challenged by Chicago columnist Eric Zorn to "get to the point," people around the country and around the world helped contribute to the protests against NATO by formulating five-word summaries of NATO: "NATO in 5".

(See #NATOin5 )

We saw U.S. veterans give voice to the anguish of so many who have been caught up in U.S. war-making. They are tormented about the violence, injury, and pain to which they have contributed. They seek everyone's help in putting a stop to itono. It was a fitting message to remember on Memorial Day, 2012, which fell the weekend after the NATO summit.

(See THIS Memorial Day, Honor the Fallen: STOP Drone Killing! )

It's hard to imagine someone aspiring to rerun Mayor Richard J. Daley's 1968 playbook, when he unleashed police repression on antiwar protesters and others. Daley's actions made "Chicago" synonymous with "brutality" for a generation. And yet that seems to be exactly what Rahm Emanual was doing whenhe arranged for NATO to hold its summit in Chicago and then tried to introduce new laws to limit free expression.

(See Welcome to Chicago! You're Under Arrest)

The protests against NATO were accomplished through the work of MANY groups!

(See Who Will Be Taking On NATO In Chicago?)






What do YOU remember about the NATO protests?