Parking Meter Protest Co-opted by Communists

The protest at Chicago's City Hall yesterday (July 29) was weird. Most protests are focused on one issue. You know, anti-war, anti-taxes, anti-this, anti-that. The one in Chicago yesterday, however, was a mish-mash of issue: Anti-Olympic games, anti-parking meters, anti-corruption, anti-gentrification, and more. See our video below. (Warning: The video is politically incorrect.)

It is a case study of how communists co-opt a cause and twist it around for their own use. The show was run by local communists (their own self-description) such as International Socialist Organization and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. This was not good for "No Games Chicago," which is against the 2016 Olympics coming to Chicago and has little to do with class warfare. Many Chicagoans across all socio-economic situations agree that the games would be a big mess of traffic, corruption and tax money lost, yet No Games Chicago allowed itself to be co-opted by the communists and participate in their anti-gentrification, class warfare event. 

The chanting was about equal parts English and Spanish. Most of the chanting was against gentrification and parking meters. At one point, the "No Games Chicago" organizer had to remind the communists running the show to include "Olympics" in the chanting. About 1/3 of the protesters spoke no English, providing a funny moment when many in the crowd couldn't correctly repeat what one of their leaders was chanting. 

The protest was "initiated by" the Chicago Parking Meter Campaign groups involved with this multi-purpose protest were: ANSWER Chicago, Centro Communitario Juan Diego, International Socialist Organization, No Games Chicago and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.There is also a set of incredible legs in this video.