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Police arrest 'Occupy Chicago' protestors after stand off at Congress and Michigan

John Kugler - October 16, 2011

Chicago police arrested a group of people from 'Occupy Chicago' following a standoff at the corner of Congress and Michigan avenues on the evening of October 15, 2011 that continued until after midnight. The arrests took place following the decision by 'Occupy Chicago' to move from the corner of LaSalle and Jackson, five blocks away, to the Grant Park, site of many Chicago protests (including the infamous 1968 protests at the Democratic National Convention).

Dozens of people — including a number of Chicago teachers — joined the protest on the night of October 15 as part of Occupy Chicago. Above, teachers and others link arms in solidarity with those who had pitched and occupied the tents in Grant Park prior to the beginning of the police arrests. Substance photo by Kristine Mayle.As the day began on October 16, a reported 200 people had been arrested. Police sources had not given a precise number as of the original filing of this article. [Police later confirmed that 175 people had been arrested].

Chicago police prepare to make arrests of Occupy Chicago protestors on the evening of October 15, 2011. Substance photo by John Kugler.The Occupy Chicago protestors began to set up tents in the park adjacent to the "Bowman" and "Spearman" statues (two naked Native Americans on horseback) following a march from their old site, LaSalle and Jackson, at the corner where the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Bank of America have their offices.

After police warnings began just before midnight, the protestors were arrested and the tents taken down. Some of the protestors chanted slogans against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, contrasting his decision to arrest them with that of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has tolerated protestors camping near Wall Street ("Occupy Wall Street") for more than a month. The arrests took place near Chicago's Prudential Building, the site of the Obama re-election national campaign office (Emanuel served as Obama's chief of staff until one year ago).

The arrests took place following a standoff when more than 2,000 people marched from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to Grant Park and then set up two dozen tents in the park. They said they were going to stay in the park for the night, and made clear that they wanted to begin an encampment like the one in New York City, "Occupy Wall Street." The marchers, many of whom remained on the west side of Michigan Ave. while the protestors set up tents across the street, included teachers and others. Police eventually closed off traffic in the area, as they prepared to make the arrests.

After midnight Saturday, following several police warnings that the encampment was illegal, police began to arrest what was originally reported (in some news reports) the more than 200 protesters who refused to leave the area in the park called "The Bowman" and "The Spearman" at Congress and Michigan. [See below. Later in the morning, Chicago police officially stated that the number arrested on the morning of October 16 totaled 175].

Some of the protestors waiting during the evening of October 15 - 16 prior to the arrests. The word 'IDEAS' in the background is displayed at the Prudential Building north of Grant Park advertising "Chicago Ideas Week" which was being promoted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who ordered the more than 200 arrests in the early morning hours of October 16, 2011. The Prudential Building is the site of the national re-election headquarters of President Barack Obama. Substance photo by John Kugler.The crowd had marched earlier from the Federal Reserve Bank at LaSalle and Jackson to Grant Park, chanting “We are the 99 percent,” and, “How do we fix the deficit? Tax, tax, tax the rich!” A rally earlier in the evening had included members of the Teamsters Union and the Chicago Teachers Union. At least one Chicago teacher was known to have been arrested.

As dawn approached, several demonstrators were waiting outside the Chicago Police district headquarters at 18th and State St., according to Substance sources who asked not to be identified. Others were waiting to take home some of those who had been arrested. Until later, Substance did not know precisely how many had been arrested, what the charges were, and how much bail was for each [See below for these details].

According to Chicago Police Office of Media affairs, the total number of arrests was 175. All of those arrested were charged with violating a municipal ordinance that makes it a violation to be in a public park between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Officer Perez of Chicago Police Media Affairs told Substance that those who were arrested would probably be released on their own recognizance (without having to post bail) unless a background check turned up other police issues. Chicago police routinely run a criminal background check on everyone arrested.

One of the ironies of the evening was that the lights from the Prudential Building advertising the "Chicago Ideas Week" were a backdrop to the Occupy Chicago confrontation. There was no reason for the police to force protestors out of Grant Park except for the pique of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who is now serving as Chicago's mayor. Emanuel's former book, Barack Obama, has his national campaign headquarters in the building with the "Ideas" lights above. Substance photo by Kristine Mayle.The group "Occupy Chicago" began protesting outside the Federal Reserve in Chicago 23 days earlier. Sources with the protests told Substance later on Sunday, October 16, that they intended to continue trying to get the right to sleep in Chicago's public Grant Park. Many were perplexed that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel had undermined the public events, while his New York City counterpart, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was in his fourth week of the larger protest called "Occupy Wall Street." Emanuel's usually hyperactive press office had no official statement on the matter as of the end of the day on October 16.

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