Around 4 o’clock last night we went down to the Induction Center. There was already a big crowd of people there. Seems like lots of people from all the various tribes were there. Someone from the Clergy and Layman group spoke about pacifism. We joined hands for a while and concentrated on releasing the negativity and military-like energy from the building. Then we started chanting.
Coleman came up to me and asked me why I was hanging out with Leslie. I told him I didn’t want to deal with him right then, but I would be more than happy to talk about it later. Leslie, for the record, didn’t show up. It doesn’t upset me that she didn’t, since it’s her thing. Again, if she’s too afraid to be arrested or whatever, I understand. Others should as well.
I swear that’s why people are pissed at her.
Anyway, the chanting got under the skin of the murderers in the building so they sent the cops after us.
Since we were gathered around the building, it was fairly easy to gather around us. Encircled by a ring of Chicago’s finest, we did the only logical thing. We sat on the pavement. Yes, it’s winter and damn cold. And we waited to be arrested.
But we weren’t.
Instead, the cops dragged people out into the middle of the busy streets and left them there. So people had no other choice then to get up or be run over by Friday evening traffic. Only those people who resisted being dragged into the busy street were arrested.
So the traffic was all backed up. I’m sure the Bob Smiths of the world were pleased to be late for their weekend martinis. People yelling out the window “Long-haired fucking freak” is par for the course, so it doesn’t deserve special mention.
Coleman and I ended up back at NIMBYS, where they were featuring an Evanston folk singer. More people were there who we knew, so we didn’t talk about anything else for the rest of the night. Nothing of any significance anyway.
