May 20th 2024.
As the sun shone down on the 18th District Chicago police station, a group of individuals had gathered on a Sunday afternoon. They were waving Palestinian flags and donning kaffiyehs, coming together for the first of many actions leading up to the Democratic National Convention in August. It was a year full of tension, and this rally was a reflection of the growing discontent with the political establishment that many people were feeling.
The coalition of protesters was made up of various organizations from all over Chicago, including an antiwar committee and mothers who were fighting for their wrongfully convicted children. They had a list of demands for politicians, but their main focus was standing in solidarity with Palestine and putting an end to U.S. aid to Israel.
One of the rally's speakers, Amira Sohail, expressed the coalition's determination and unity, stating that their communities were diverse and their strategies varied, but their goals were crystal clear. They demanded an end to the atrocities occurring in Palestine and an end to the U.S.'s support of Israel. They also called for a stop to the investments in systems that oppress them.
The conflict in Gaza, which had been ongoing since October 7th, was a major topic of discussion at the rally. Nick Sous, a member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, called for the release of prisoners in Illinois and across the country who had been wrongly convicted. He also demanded the freedom of prisoners in Palestine.
Darien Harris, who had spent 12 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, shared his frustration with the justice system. He emphasized the need for equal treatment and accountability from lawmakers, stating that the system was meant to help people, but instead, it was working against them.
The organizers also played a voice message from Rico Clark, who was serving a 55-year prison sentence for a murder he maintains he did not commit. Witnesses had recanted their statements, and Clark had filed a petition for a new trial.
The protesters were passionate and vocal, yelling as they marched towards the Near North police station. Jae Franklin, a member of the Anti-War Committee Chicago, spoke about the coalition's demands for the Pritzker administration to prioritize signing clemency petitions and stop delaying justice. She expressed her frustration with the unjust system that focused on profits rather than the well-being of its people.
The group marched eastward, with police officers on bikes and in squad cars keeping a close eye on them. As they headed south, they were stopped by police at Oak Street, forcing them to return to the police station. Izet Duranovic, a Bosnian who had lived in Chicago for 27 years, was one of the protesters. He waved a Palestinian flag along with the flag of his homeland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in solidarity with those being persecuted, much like his fellow Bosnian Muslims had been in the past.
Duranovic was emotional as he spoke about the peaceful nature of the rallies and protests he had attended. He thanked everyone for coming and promised to see them all again in August. April Ward, the mother of Micheail Ward, who had been wrongfully convicted of murder, also expressed her gratitude to the protesters. She urged the Democrats and Republicans to take action and promised that justice would prevail for all. The rally may have ended, but the fight for justice and equality was far from over.
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