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Thousands of workers protest Wall Street bosses in Chicago “They Say Get Back! We Say Fight Back!”
Chanting “Money for Jobs and Education, Not for Banks and Corporations,” 5,000 workers and students converged on a corporate executive’s summit in Chicago on June 14. The streets outside the meeting, which was being held at a downtown Hyatt Hotel, were shut down for over an hour. The streets were blocked by protesters and 25 people were arrested. Numerous community organizations and unions organized the mass action, including Stand Up! Chicago, SEIU and the Chicago Teachers Union. The protest was dubbed, “The Give it Back Rally” by organizers. While the bosses of McDonalds, Motorola, IBM and others met in the lavish hotel, on the streets outside the workers demanded that Wall Street give back the money used to bail them out and the billions of dollars in tax breaks they’ve robbed from the people during a time of financial crisis and “budget austerity.” "Federal government bailed out the banks, the major corporations, the cars - they can't bail out the teachers for our students? Come on. Where is the money? Give it back to us. Give it back to us. That is all we're asking. Give us a fair chance," said Chicago Teachers Union member Alonzo Hoskins. (ABCChicago.com) The mass protest is one in a string of large protests organized by Chicago and Illinois unions and allies as the state and city have waged war on unions and democrats and republicans alike have slashed city, county and state budgets—all while the rich are being aided by the government in taking advantage of the crisis to expand their share of the wealth in society. The June 14 street action showed once again that workers are ready to struggle with the billionaires over wages, social services and rights. A fighting labor movement that helps unite the struggles of poor people, immigrants, women, workers and all oppressed people can help escalate the fight back and turn the tide against the class war being waged on the people by Wall Street. |
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