this post was submitted on 19 Oct 2025

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Chicago’s Massive No Kings March Stretches Two Miles Through Loop (blockclubchicago.org)

submitted 1 day ago by grimpy@lemmy.myserv.one to c/politics@lemmy.world

36 comments fedilink hide all child comments

DOWNTOWN — With their city caught in the country’s largest immigration enforcement operation, as many as 250,000 Chicagoans flooded Downtown on Saturday to condemn Donald Trump’s administration as part of the second nationwide No Kings protest.

“We will never surrender!” Illinois governor JB Pritzker said. “Throughout history we have learned that tyranny doesn’t arrive with dramatic proclamations. We learned that it comes wrapped in ‘law and order’ … The reality here in Chicago is this: Black and Brown people are being targeted for the color of their skin. Children are being zip-tied and separated from their families … These people are not abstractions. They pay taxes on their businesses. They work hard — these people are the fabric of our society.”

“They want a rematch of the Civil War,” Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson said to the crowd. “But we are here to stand firm, to stand committed — that we will not bend. We will not cower. The attempt to divide and conquer this nation will not prevail, because when the people are united, justice always prevails.”

Johnson closed out his remarks by calling for a general strike.

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[–] leadore@lemmy.world 30 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

[Chicago mayor Brandon] Johnson closed out his remarks by calling for a general strike.

Yes!. This is why the regime is scared of large peaceful protests--it tells them we are reaching enough support a stage a successful general strike. I'm glad to hear the mayor call for it! May the idea gain momentum.

The regime was really pushing their propaganda portraying the opposition as consisting of mostly "Hamas supporters", "antifa terrorists", marxists, etc. and to expect violence! But what they got was peaceful protestors, costumes, and kids in strollers. You can be sure teams of agents and right wing media are combing footage to find any violence they can possibly use, but it's too late this time since everyone has seen the peaceful footage. Next time they'll probably resort to rolling out some AI stuff.

BTW another important thing about these protests is alluded to in the article:

During the march, two protesters stood across from the Trump Tower handing out zines — small, often handmade, booklets — titled, “Why Escalation?” The zines discussed various methods of making protests more disruptive to the status quo — like blocking major roads and occupying buildings — as well as the role these methods played in the work of historical radical groups like the Black Panther Party. “It gives us a really good opportunity to reach people that we wouldn’t have reached otherwise,” one protester, Sarah, said about their decision to come to the No Kings protest.

[–] ameancow@lemmy.world 15 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

For the mayor of one of the largest cities in the US to be calling for a general strike is massive.

This is about as close as I've ever seen to a call for actual revolution. Most people have no idea just how serious a General Strike is.

I don't think our country would ever pull it off entirely, but if even a fraction of our labor force stopped producing, it would shut down not just our country, but the world would grind to a halt. We are far more fragile from a supply-chain/labor level than we've ever been.

This is why they want us separated, this is why they FIERCELY oppose any form of unity and why they fund bad-actors on both sides of every political and social issues to make us all hate each other. This is why we have so much contention. Because if we ever all woke up and looked around and realized we all want the same things, we could all decide together to hit the big "reset" button and our government would be irrelevant. Corporations would lose their stranglehold overnight. Empires would crumble.

It would be bad, many people would be hurt, but it wouldn't be as bad as an armed revolution, and it would address that burning question that most lefties get angry about when I ask: "Let's say it works, let's say we have our glorious revolution and topple the king. What do you do about the tens of millions of people who didn't want it and will view you as an insurrectionist?"

A general strike is founded on cooperation and unity against power. If we can keep this narrative alive, even just the threat of it will make every powerful institution pause and rethink their next moves.

[–] psycotica0@lemmy.ca 3 points 18 hours ago

Yeah, holy shit. This isn't some hippy caricature at a park, but mayor of arguably the 4th largest city in North America. That's nuts, but I'm glad to see it. Wild times...

[–] Tinidril@midwest.social 4 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Hell, a general strike in just one industry would have devastating effects. What if airlines went on strike for a day? Telecom? A national nurses strike? Waste management? Maybe we rotate, one industry per day.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

Yes! After all, how do the jack-booted thugs beat up people who aren't even there?

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

You don't have to have a revolution where some whole new government takes over from scratch--a new political party could be enough if enough support. I think most people want to keep the Constitution but with fixes to safeguard the freedoms it was supposed to guarantee, but turned out to be optional.

We can demand new elections and amendments to the constitution (probably via a Constitutional Convention), and until that can happen, legislation to prevent the executive branch from ever being able to take this much power again.

Reforms to demand would need to start with the most crucial, including things like those listed here. Especially stripping power from the oligarchs! by massively taxing them, overturning Citizens United, and allowing only publicly funded elections. Shoring up the checks and balances to fix the vulnerabilities we've learned the hard way. Expanding the Supreme Court to a fairly large number would also be important so our very rights don't depend on something like one person not dying. Etc, etc. Ah well, I can dream, right?

[–] klammeraffe@lemmy.cafe 64 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Now ~250k people is definitely enough to cool off my dooming. Good job Chicago!

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That’s about 8.3% of the city population (approximately 1 in 12 people).

[–] klammeraffe@lemmy.cafe 24 points 1 day ago (4 children)

If the people were limited to the Population of the Chicago proper, then 8.3% might be more accurate – unfortunately, the greater Metropolitan area is 9.5 million and therefore 250,000 people is around 2.6%

However, I’m just being pedantic, and 250,000 people is a great turnout regardless.

[–] Dultas@lemmy.world 4 points 21 hours ago

You also have to account for the fact there were several No Kings rallies around the Chicago area that may have drawn from the outer meto areas.

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Yeah, I get it. I did say city and the suburbs around, what would be “Chicagoland”, all had their own as well such as Evanston, Wilmette, Oak Park, La Grange, Elmhurst, etc.

I’m sure people from the burbs came into the downtown for this as well, but there were so many all over beyond downtown which is what that 250,000 is counting I believe. It was a 2 mile long stretch of protesters for downtown Chicago.

[–] klammeraffe@lemmy.cafe 4 points 1 day ago

I made my body present at one of the smaller ones in the burbs because I was not going to get stuck downtown where I live. However, I did drive by on my way to the library And it was sizable.

Wow this does put a spark of hope into my doomer heart, this needs to happen every weekend, with a growing population, until we get what we want – which I guess is different for everyone so this might be difficult

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 4 points 22 hours ago

The greater chicago area had many individual protests in the various burbs. The group organizing for my town had 300 signups and they usually get a lot more than what signups. Im not sure of the number though because I went downtown. So if you are taking the greater chicago area you would need to get the number from all the suburban protests in that area and add it to the downtown one.

[–] macaw_dean_settle@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago

Most of us in the greater metropolitan area attended local events. There were 3 gatherings between my suburban city and the city of Chicago alone.

[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 57 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I agree, it is time for a general strike.

Hell, do it in solidarity for the furloughed federal employees, already a huge portion of my local community is not going to work...

[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 11 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I’m going to work, but I’m not getting paid. Thank you for thinking of us. <3

[–] macaw_dean_settle@lemmy.world 7 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

You are not forgotten by many of us.

[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 2 points 20 hours ago

That means a lot, it really does. Thank you.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Imagine if every gas station worker in just the city alone went in strike.

[–] Gerudo@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Even better is if grocery stores/restaurants had to close due to strikes. What's the old saying, we are all 3 meals away from violence...

[–] hateisreality@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

They had to keep liquor stores open during the pandemic...we definitely have the power to make a change

[–] moody@lemmings.world 5 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

It sounds stupid, but liquor stores can be a matter of life and death for some. Alcohol withdrawal can cause seizures and death for heavy alcoholics.

[–] hateisreality@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago

I understand your point, but I highly doubt they stayed open to make sure hardcore alcoholic folks didn't withdrawal..it was to keep folks placated during a pandemic, God knows I appreciated it. Profits too.

[–] deacon@lemmy.world 13 points 21 hours ago

I fucking love my city. I truly believe Chicago is among the most beautiful cities in the world. I truly consider it a privilege to ride my bike along the lakefront trail with a gorgeous skyline on one side of me and a beautiful lakefront on the other side of me. We have amazing, truly world-class music, food, architecture, sports, and art.

The night my Cubs broke their 108 year championship drought, I stood on my front steps and hugged and fived random strangers into the late hours, all of us screaming our heads off; and all of those things I love about Chicago were elevated by and multiplied by the sheer sense of Communion I was having with hundreds of like-minded people who all felt the same way about our city and our team. It was the night my love for this city burned hottest.

Yesterday, in the park and on the streets, magnified and multiplied that by a million. I was surrounded as far as I could see in any direction by people who love this city and love this country as much as I do. It truly looked like every kind of person was represented.

It made it feel like we can actually do this, and that is exactly what Trump and co are afraid of.

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 5 points 18 hours ago

Gotta admit, I'm liking this mayor.

[–] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 8 points 22 hours ago

Put on your frog costume, and rage against the dying of the light.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 4 points 22 hours ago

awww. no baby trump photos. if you see an overview of millenium park its the yellow thing that looks like someone has a giant pikachu at the protest from the overhead early views.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 4 points 1 day ago

My people!

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 2 points 22 hours ago

Man the Italians and their Italian flag! Wink wink with the chicken in the middle wink wink. Oh yes very Italian of them. Could have been French though. Lol, all the images are so cool to see. I have hope that we'll be free one day.