On the night of Saturday April 5th Chicago saw the re-emergence of large, radical Trans and Queer resistance to violence perpetrated against our community. Around 100 Trans, Queer, and allied folk marched without a permit under banners reading, “ Every 8 Days a Queer/Trans Person is Killed,” and “How Many Must Die Before We Bash Back?” Called by Bash Back! Chicago, the “Rowdy funeral procession and march,” was in response to the recent murders in the Trans and Queer communities and in conjunction with the Bash Back! Radical Trans and Queer Convergence held in Chicago over the weekend.
With chants of, “ Only one direction: Trans and Queer Insurrection!” and “ 1-2-3-4 Smash down the closet door! 5-6-7-8 We will not assimilate!” marchers made it clear that the radical Trans and Queer movement was a force to be reckoned with.
The first target on the route was the local Republican Headquarters on Halsted and Diversey. It was at this point that the first dance party of the night kicked off. Dozens of people danced on the sidewalk and street screaming, “ Were here, Were Queer, Republicans Don’t Fuck with Us! We’re here, We’re Queer and We don’t fuck Republicans!” While marching away from the building particpants yelled, “ We’re here, We’re Queer on September 1st we’ll fuck you up!” in reference to the massive direct action protest being planned at the Republican National Convention on September 1st, 2008. Making it clear that radicals will also target the Democratic National Convention, the march then altered the chant to say, “...DNC, we’ll fuck you up!”
Next on the list, was the “Gay friendly” Police Station in the Assimilationist neighborhood of Boystown. In June of 2004 radical Queers who had been arrested earlier in the day for confronting homophobes disrupting the Pride Parade were beaten and abused by these, “Gay friendly” officers in the, “Gay friendly” cop shop. Upon arrival the angry protestors stopped traffic for a number of minutes, to the dismay of a Hummer stretch limo, and refused to let the police ignore their voices. A person on a bullhorn cited numerous examples of Police brutality in the Boystown neighborhood and marchers took up the chant, “Who do you serve? Who do you Protect?”
After about ten minutes of blocking traffic outside of the station Bash Back! Continued one block north to their final target. The Center on Halsted, Chicago’s multi-million dollar Gay and Lesbian Center, has repeatedly denied access to young Trans and Queer people who do not belong to the rich, white, Gay community. Two years ago the Center partnered with the Salvation Army in an anti-homeless campaign that called on people to stop giving money to homeless people on the street and instead donate money to them. Despite an international boycott by AIDS groups against Abbot Labs for their hostilities toward Thailand for producing generic AIDS drugs, the Center on Halsted still does work with Power Construction, who have contracts in the Millions with Abbott Labs. The protestors called the Center out on much of this before being surrounded by the police and pushed on the sidewalk.
Under the close eye of police, ,who were blocking traffic for them, the radical Trans and Queer folk ended the night with a festive dance party underneath the El Tracks in the neighborhood that is home to Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, and MORE CONDOS!
With all of this energy and action one can only speculate that Bash Back! will ensure the summer’s convention protests will be fierce, fabulous, and history making.
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"Boredom is counter-revolutionary."
-- Situationist International
if you know what i mean.
