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Seven Illinois activists participated in civil disobedience late Monday afternoon during a Chicago “Moral Monday” protest against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget cuts.
As part of the protest, a few hundred clergy and grassroots activists with Fair Economy Illinois marched from the Thompson Center to 131 S. Dearborn St., the downtown office building of Citadel LLC. The hedge fund firm’s founder and CEO Ken Griffin has given Rauner millions in campaign donations.
Seven protesters, including five religious leaders, were taken into Chicago police custody after refusing to leave the Citadel building lobby, where they held up a banner reading, “Rauner/Griffin. Fair Budget Now! No Cuts! Tax the Rich!” […]
During the demonstration, activists chanted, “Love thy neighbor as thyself. Tax the rich and share the wealth.” They also staged a “die-in” outside the Citadel building while the seven protesters were being put into police vehicles.
ABC7 reported nine arrests.
* Photo…
* Video…
This same group picketed Sam Zell’s office earlier this month.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:06 am
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That’s cute. Hope they had fun.
Comment by Thunder Fred Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:10 am
Citizenship at work. Regardless of the issue or their point of view, it is good for citizens to exercise their rights.
It is better to be arrested praying, than it is to be arrested looting.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:10 am
What kind of a “religious leader” causes a ruckus in the temple of the money changers, anyway?
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:11 am
“Moral Monday?”
How pretentious
Comment by O.W.L. Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:13 am
I thought Progress Illinois was shutting down?
Comment by Dirty Red Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:18 am
“We Want Fairness” !
“When Do We Want It?
“Now”!
You know you’ve got a loser when camera sniffer Jesse Jackson doesn’t even show up
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:22 am
The Catholic Church in Illinois, particularly the Chicago Archdiocese, is incredibly wealthy. They pay NO taxes. Many of these “charity” services that are being cut could easily be provided and funded by the church. Anybody care to guess what kind of commitment to do this we’ll get from these “moral” servants of the church? I’ll be listening at Mass this Sunday to see if they’ll be making a collection to continue these services that the state can no longer afford (sound of crickets).
Oh yeah, I forgot. The church has certain “legal issues” they’re paying tens of millions every year to remedy. I guess that squeezes their charity budget…
Comment by Arizona Bob Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:26 am
The same Ken Griffin who shamed his peers and called them out by name for taking corporate welfare from the state and failing to pay a fair share of taxes?
Zell was more deserving, even if the idea of protesting a private citizen who generally avoids the media is troublesome.
Comment by Formerly Known As... Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:29 am
They only got six people to participate in this farce? Why did it even deserve press coverage? If this shows the level of support from parishoners for “taxing the rich” and “stopping the cuts”, seems like opposition is pretty weak for Rauner.
Comment by Arizona Bob Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:29 am
AZ Bob - I haven’t the slightest idea what you are trying to say, or snark, or - DID YOU FORGET YOUR MORNING MEDS?
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:32 am
Wordslinger: …
What to say? You’re so often a step ahead.
Comment by walker Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:41 am
Why no demonstration at the Madigan law office?
Comment by a nonny mouse Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:47 am
Walker, a Citadel is not quite a temple, but it will do in a pinch. Whole lot of money changing hands, though.
If I recall from Melissa Harris’ revealing interview with Griff back in the day, he thought Big Money guys like him should have more influence on government, simply because they had more money.
Interesting theory on democracy.
Well, guess what comes with that?
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:50 am
I’m just waiting for the next “die in” at the Capitol…
Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:50 am
Bob’s just mad that Arizona’s citizens can redistrict to their heart’s content now.
Comment by Name Withheld Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:52 am
In Illinois it is tax the middle class, not the rich!
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:52 am
Good effort, but there will be no taxing of the rich under these Republicans or Democrats now in power in Illinois. They’re for the rich. The millionaire’s tax failed. Democratic efforts towards a progressive income tax over their past decade of ultra-power in the state have been laughable.
If honest, these protestors would be shouting “tax the middle class-more.” Because that’s where it’s going–with how much being the only uncertainty.
Comment by Cassandra Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 10:54 am
Throw them in jail
Comment by Peoria Guy Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:04 am
This is a country of laws. You don’t just disobey them because you disagree with them or because you think your cause is just.
Comment by Peoria Guy Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:07 am
I did not realize the rich don’t pay IL income taxes. I guess my CPA is wasted!
Comment by Peoria Guy Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:10 am
AB: Unless you are privy to Catholic Church accounts, and can demonstrate otherwise, I am fairly certain that the Chicago Archdiocese is asset rich and cash poor.
There is simply no way that they could provide the social services they provide under state support, without that support. Their revenues, especially from collections, have been declining for years. Their declining attendance drives that. They have tradeoffs to make with closing facilities and selling property, versus the demands of local communities.
Your comment on too much cash being eaten up in legal settlements is well-taken.
Comment by walker Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:34 am
Nine Illinois Corporations get to collect – through payroll deduction – employee income taxes. (2013)
And they get to keep what they collect.
Motorola, Sears, Chrysler, Navistar, Mitsubishi, Continental Tire, Ecolab, Champion Labs and Ford.
The tax loop hole has cost the state nearly half a billion dollars over the past decade.
Comment by Enviro Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:37 am
–Throw them in jail.–
That was the objective, don’t you think?
–This is a country of laws. You don’t just disobey them because you disagree with them or think your cause is just.–
Yeah, hear that, Gandhi and Martin Luther King? Sit down and shut up!
PG, a little reading on the philosophy and practice of non-violent civil disobedience might do you some good. It has proven to be much preferable to some of the alternatives you see in play around the world that involve things that go “boom.”
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:46 am
Feel free to protest. That doesn’t give you the right to break the law.
Comment by Peoria Guy Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:51 am
Wordslinger, I have done plenty of reading in my life
The only options are not to blow something up or break the law
Comment by Peoria Guy Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:52 am
PG, they’re accepting the consequences of tneir actions, peacefully.
You really can’t be missing the larger point, can you, about non-violent civil disobedience? It’s been in all the papers.
Of course, Mayor Arduin and your police force have been known to have a unique take on speech and protest in a free society…..
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:59 am
==- Peoria Guy - Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 11:52 am:==
The Dense and The Denser
Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:00 pm
So much for the civility that Rich called for a couple weeks ago
Comment by Peoria Guy Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:08 pm
Civil Laws are not holy Laws. Civil Laws are not captive to the word of God, but our conscience’s are. When there is no violence I support any measure that calls us our conscience out into the open. March on!
Comment by Ben Franklin Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:11 pm
To add onto Word’s thoughts, it will be important to track how big these protests grow. If this turns into a mass movement, bringing many hundreds or thousands to the Citadel Center, it could have a real impact. To do this, they will have to drop the tax the rich screams and demand a bipartisan resolution that respects the concerns of both sides.
Comment by Muscular Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:12 pm
===To do this, they will have to===
perform multiple miracles.
Fixed it for you.
Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:13 pm
–perform multiple miracles–
Well, it’s not supposed to rain here for a couple of days, so that’s a start. Can take a break from building my ark. I’ve already got at least two mosquitos the size of mastodons in my back yard to stock it.
The Fourth is upon us. I wouldn’t be expecting any mass protests for a while.
Comment by Wordslinger Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:22 pm
BTW, I’ve been to that building a number of times and always marveled at the tastelessness of that lobby with its tacky faux gold winged victory copy statue. It finally serves a purpose…backdrop to a protest on income inequality!
Comment by D.P.Gumby Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 12:25 pm
Please advise me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Catholic Charities (which does very good work) mostly taxpayer subsidized, via grants? 80-90% taxpayer?
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 2:32 pm
Just walked by the Adams Street entrance to Chicago’s Union Station. There are protestors with signs which read,”Rauner Stashes Millions in Tax Havens”.
Comment by GA Watcher Tuesday, Jun 30, 15 @ 5:17 pm