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* A group called Fair Economy Illinois was at the Statehouse yesterday to lobby for a corporate transparency bill and a proposal to close some corporate loopholes.
* But the group also forced its way into the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association headquarters yesterday. From the IMA…
A group of approximately 50 protesters forced their way into IMA’s Springfield lobby and briefly chanted anti-fracking slogans for about 10 minutes Wednesday afternoon.
The well-rehearsed protest disbursed when the group’s leaders heard police being dispatched via scanners they were monitoring.
No damage was done, no arrests were made, and no minds were changed about the benefits of hydraulic fracturing.
The IMA building has a secure, electronic entrance, but apparently one of the protesters posed as a flower delivery person and that’s how the rest of them got in. The protesters also apparently hung up a sign on the outside of the building calling the IMA the “Illinois Money-Grabbing Association.”
* From the Twitters…
@ilpeoplesaction @npaction funny how calm @ima_today sounds in this post, because they were extremely unnerved by our presence.
— The People’s Lobby (@peopleslobbyusa) May 9, 2013
* A short video of the protest inside the IMA…
* A photo from the protesters entitled “is this where they manufacture our elected officials?”…
* And a photo provided by the IMA…
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:16 am
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This is actually a pretty lame protest. Don’t see that anything was actually accomplished. Many of them seem a little embarrassed.
Comment by Cassiopeia Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:23 am
“funny how calm the IMA sounds..they were pretty unnerved by our presence”
Yea, a bunch of people force their way into your office (private business private property) and start protesting and you wouldn’t be unnerved. I say get a life and quite complaining about everybody else’s life.
Comment by Jaded Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:32 am
Whatever, it’s a free country.
But don’t just do the self-congratulating, feel-good stuff; organize your neighborhoods and put some fear in legislators.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:33 am
“chanted anti-fracking slogans”
Umm, fracking for clean burning natural gas is A LOT betting than burning coal people. Converting power production and even transportation to nat gas would be the biggest environmental success our nation has ever seen.
Comment by Allen Skillicorn Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:35 am
Apparently, they weren’t upset at the fact that Illinois has the 4th highest corporate income tax in the world for non-clouted businesses, and offer no proposal to reduce these obscene taxes on small business. They just want to hike the taxes on the clouted businesses so every business left in Illinois will suffer equally.
Comment by bmcosti Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:36 am
The IMA has little to do with either fracking or corporate transparency issues.
Whatever.
Comment by walkinfool Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:36 am
Wish the folks protesting corporate welfare could come up with better ideas and strategies to advance the cause. Not that I have them but this is too important an issue for our economic future to let pass by. I’m just not sure how you address it at the state level though.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:46 am
–”No damage was done, no arrests were made, and no minds were changed …”
Good one. That sums up just about every protest that hits Springfield. Yawn.
Comment by Just Saying Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:01 am
blahblahblah. If these folks really want to protest the manufacturing community they should go live in a cave and eat fruits and nuts. Just don’t steal them from the trees, that would be bad.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:04 am
When all the profitable corporations in Illinois and the US fail a lot of wonderful things will happen to the “People”. Let’s see…Things like in the Soviet Union days..starvation, endless lines for basic necessaties that were never available, and hopelessness. Let’s see…Turkey today…starvation, endless protests for basic necessities and hopelessness. Yep those lousy corporations really are putting the screws to us!!
Comment by Exhausted Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:06 am
===Whatever, it’s a free country.===
It’s trespassing and it’s wrong, and they knew it because they brought along a police scanner so they’d know when to scram.
I’m not unsympathetic to their cause, but these people are extremist loons who do their cause more harm than good with stupid stunts like this.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:10 am
Is Mr. Madigan still in league with these enviro-wackos???
My understanding was that he was blocking the fracking bill from coming to a vote….?????
Comment by JoeVerdeal Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:38 am
47th Ward,
Absolutely correct, Trespassing is against the law, and by the way their arguments against fracking are bogus.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:38 am
- wordslinger - Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 10:33 am:
Whatever, it’s a free country.
+++++++++
Should we read into this that you support their illegal trespass?
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 11:59 am
The clenched right fists in the air is a nice touch….
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 12:22 pm
The IMA has a better photographer than the protesters.
Comment by whatever Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 12:28 pm
Seems like the protestors who were illegally trespassing got unnerved when the police were called.
Comment by 1776 Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 12:50 pm
- Should we read into this that you support their illegal trespass? -
Boy, you really got him good.
Seriously, give me a break, this country was founded on civil disobedience, and not-so-civil disobedience. I don’t personally agree with them on this issue, and I think this protest was fairly lame, but whining about their trespassing is much lamer.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:17 pm
So, there was no scanner and the police never showed up. It was obvious that, despite their threats of calling the police, the IMA really did not want the publicity of having a hundred people arrested in their lobby. The “visitors” began by asking politely to meet with Mark Denzler, who apparently was afraid to come out and talk.
47th Ward - Keep the IMA, C of C and other corporate lackeys from trespassing on our democracy and we won’t need to be in their buildings. Hundreds of millions of IL tax dollars for corporate welfare, but cuts to education, healthcare and other human services? That ain’t right!
Comment by eyewitness Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:28 pm
To frack or not to frack…. let’s get to the more serious question: Shouldn’t it be “the protest dispersed” instead of “disbursed?”
Comment by Full Circle Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 1:42 pm
Silly protest.
Complain to the legislators about tax breaks. They are to blam (if there is any actual blame)
Follow the money. Are these folks honestly expressing their views, or are they rented for the occasion ?
Comment by Plutocrat03 Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 2:40 pm
The IMA’s people don’t frack, they make widgets.
Comment by Keyser Soze Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:02 pm
@eyewitness- “Mark Denzler was afraid to come out and talk to the group?” Yeah- I’m sure it had nothing to do with him not wanting to confront 100 whack jobs illegally trespassing into his place of work? Mark was busy working hard for his members who provide jobs to thousands of Illinois residents and create products that we all use on a daily basis. All of the protesters should be ashamed of themselves!!
Comment by Are you fracking kidding me? Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:34 pm
@ eyewitness….
Considering that Mark Denzler was with me in the hydraulic fracturing meeting at the Capitol, it would have been difficult for him to come out. It’s somewhat funny that the protestors could have walked 100 feet from the Rotunda and actually protested in front of the room where the actual fracturing negotiations were occuring!!!
Secondly, the police were called and did show up after the protestors left. Call the SPD and ask if the police were called… I’ll bet you $1,000. Care to take the bet?
Comment by dazed & confused Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 3:34 pm
I have no problem with a protest in front of IMA’s office, but trespassing was wrong.
@Keyser Soze and walkinfool. IMA is one of several business groups that have been leading the charge for more fracking in the state. Some of their members make the “widgets” for the fracking equipment and will obviously benefit.
@Allen Skillicorn. I agree that natural gas will be good for the environment, but only in the short term. We eventually need to make the transition to high efficiency technologies, distributed energy generation and renewables.
Comment by Going nuclear Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:11 pm
=== high efficiency technologies, distributed energy generation and renewables ===
Please explain what the energy sources are for those listed above.
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:42 pm
Do those technologies have anything to do w/nuclear power? I certainly think nuclear power can be very useful if we go w/single design breeder reactors. That would streamline the environmental impact studies and reduce the long term waste issues, no?
Comment by dupage dan Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:44 pm
- Some of their members make the “widgets” for the fracking equipment and will obviously benefit. -
Not to mention much cheaper natural gas prices.
And you’re right, natural gas isn’t a permanent solution, but it’s a whole lot better way to brige the gap than more coal and more oil.
Comment by Small Town Liberal Thursday, May 9, 13 @ 4:59 pm