Chicago, IL – On Sunday, May 20, students throughout the country will come together in Chicago to join the student contingent in opposition to the NATO summit and demand money for education, not for war.

Jesse Jackson and Carlos Montes among speakers

Chicago, IL – The Coalition Against NATO/G8 War And Poverty Agenda (CANG8), which is spearheading the massive march on the NATO summit May 20, has announced the speakers and cultural performers who will be on stage during the protest.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Speakers call for stepped up efforts to support Carlos Montes

Chicago, IL – On May 6 over 100 people attended a panel at the Labor Notes conference called Solidarity Forever: The Labor Movement, Political Repression and the Fight for Civil Liberties. The panel focused on the repression against Carlos Montes and the Anti-War 23 and explained why it’s important for the labor movement to take a stand against political repression.

Chicago, IL – About 3000 people marched here, May 1, to celebrate International Workers Day. The biggest contingents were from Occupy Chicago and the immigrant rights movement.

Chicago, IL – The Reverend Errol Narain and the congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church are extending open arms to protesters who will be marching against NATO this month.

Chicago, IL – A press conference was held here, April 23, with the Reverend Jesse Jackson, trade union leaders and ministers, along with Iraq Veterans Against the War, to announce support for the protest against NATO on May 20 in Chicago. The Reverend Jackson has agreed to speak at the May 20 rally, which will be held at noon at Petrillo Band Shell in Grant Park, and then he’ll help lead the march to McCormick Place, where the war-makers will be meeting. Jackson compared the significance of May 20 to the historic civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.

Chicago, IL – In the past week, unions representing over 135,000 workers have endorsed the protest march on the NATO summit in Chicago, May 20.

23 arrested in effort to stop clinic closing

Chicago, IL – The Mental Health Movement is fighting Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plans to close six clinics this month. On April 12, at 4:00 p.m., 30 people chained the doors shut and erected barricades. Over 100 unionized nurses and community members, including patients and members of Occupy Chicago, formed lines in front of the doors. “Health care is a right!” chanted the crowd.

Chicago, IL – On April 11, the Reverend Jesse Jackson announced his support for the May 20 protest march against the NATO summit in Chicago. Jackson made the announcement on the public radio station WBEZ.

Chicago, IL – 1000 people took to the streets in an unpermitted march from the Chicago Board of Trade Building at Jackson and LaSalle and over to Grant Park for the April 7 Spring to Action by Occupy Chicago.

Six weeks until war makers arrive in Chicago

Chicago, IL – Once again bowing to public pressure, on April 4 the city of Chicago granted permits for a rally and march against the NATO summit planned here in May. The Coalition Against NATO/G8 War and Poverty Agenda (CANG8) also demanded the city waive the nearly $40,000 in fees to use a public park,and give a more favorable march route as well.

Chicago, IL – After losing an appeal for a preferred march route for the May 20 protest at the NATO summit in Chicago, activists held a press conference, March 30, to criticize the city and announce their next steps.

Chicago, IL – A press conference was held here today, March 15, to announce a change of plans for anti NATO/G8 marchers.

Chicago, IL – Veterans of the Chicano movement gathered in Casa Aztlan, Feb. 26, to welcome Carlos Montes to the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The event was hosted by Magda Castaneda, an activist who participated in many of the struggles of Pilsen, including the fight in the 1970s to open the famous political space.

Chicago, IL – Over 100 people rallied and marched here March 10 at Daley Plaza. They came to defend civil liberties, demand an end to suppression of dissent and to call for a stop of government attacks on immigrant, Arab, Muslim, Black and Latino communities.

Protestors win victory; continue plans to march on NATO Summit May 19

Chicago, IL – The White House announced today, March 5, that the G8 summit, scheduled for Chicago on May 19-20, will be moved to Camp David, although the NATO summit will still take place in Chicago.

Chicago IL – 50 workers at Serious Materials, the window factory formerly known as Republic Windows and Doors, reported to work the morning of Feb. 23 only to be told that today would be their last day of work. Workers talked throughout the day and at 2:30 p.m. they came off the line and told the boss that they were not leaving the factory. They would not let the factory be stripped of its machines and sold piece by piece while they were out of a job.

Chicago, IL – Yellow buses from across the city arrived with students, parents, staff and community members for a rally at Lake View High School, Feb 20. Their message to Mayor Rahm Emanuel: “Support our schools, don't close them.”

In February, the National Lawyers Guild reached a $6.2 million settlement in the case of Vodak v City of Chicago, which arose from the arrest of 800 protesters on the night the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq began. The case is named after Kevin Vodak, an attorney who attended the protest as a legal observer for the National Lawyers Guild. Vodak was arrested along with the protesters. Under Mayor Emanuel, the city has frustrated attempts by organizers to get permits for protests against NATO/G8. Emanuel has attempted to force drastic changes to ordinances governing protests, trying to restrict the right to protest. Fight Back! posed questions to Jim Fennerty, one of the lawyers in this nine-year legal fight for the right to protest. Fight Back!: What is the Vodak case about?