A Chicago Activist Is To Thank For That Inflatable Trump Chicken

By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 10, 2017 10:17PM

Via Twitter

Even if you don't know the name Taran Brar, chances are you're familiar with his work—particularly the massive inflatable Trump chicken that you may have noticed taking roost behind the White House on Wednesday afternoon.

Or if you're an anti-Trumpist Chicagoan, you might have actually directly participated in a previous Brar production: He was one of the co-organizer's behind the Chicago satellite of the this year's Tax March protest.

When we talked to Brar in January he said he was alarmed that president had resisted releasing his taxes—"a long tradition where the public can see if you have any conflicts of interest," as he said. The chicken metaphor seemed apt, he and other organizers thought. And when the inflatable presidential fowl made his dramatic entrance near the White House, Brar extended the metaphor:

Brar told Time that planning for the big reveal took several months, as he worked to wrangle permits and tried to make sure he had just the right angle of placement. “I triangulated. There’s a reason it was there rather than to the left a little bit, it would have been blocked," Brar told the magazine.

He was finally able to secure a permit based on speech grounds, getting "a waiver for the First Amendment," he told the New York Times, even though the 30-foot chicken was about five feet taller than the limit.

It should be mentioned that Brar wasn't alone in bringing the bird to life. Other Tax Marches included Trump chickens, and the design was created by a Seattle-based artist before it ever took on its new life. But he does hope to keep the momentum advancing. He even told Time he's already pursuing an elaborate vision that would incorporate blow-up Russian guns to pair with dozens of the chickens. Keep your eyes peeled.