Dueling Protests Face Off At 'March Against Sharia' Outside Trump Tower
By aaroncynic in News on Jun 11, 2017 5:00AM
Tensions ran high at dueling demonstrations across the street from Trump Tower in the Loop where a small group of anti-Muslim protesters and Trump loyalists were met by a larger group of counter-protesters for what was called a “march against Sharia.”
The demonstration was part of a set of 29 demonstrations that took place in cities across the country on Saturday, called for by the group ACT For America, which has been classified as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“This is a march against Sharia law and for human rights,” the group said in a press release. “Our nation is built on the freedom of religion—a pillar of our democracy—which we must always respect, protect, and honor. However many aspects of Sharia law run contrary to basic human rights and are completely incompatible with our laws and our democratic values.”
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, ACT is one of the nation’s largest anti-Muslim groups, claiming 280,000 members and 1,000 chapters. Its founder, Brigitte Gabriel, has frequently spouted Islamaphobic rhetoric, saying that a practicing Muslim “cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States,” and that Europe is in danger of becoming “Eurabia.”
Initially, police kept protesters to separate sides of Wabash Avenue where it intersects with Wacker Drive, where at least 100 counter demonstrators gathered. But after a contingent of Trump loyalists, one of whom was dressed in a red, white, and blue unitard, arrived, some counter protesters crossed to get closer. Police formed a line and erected barricades to keep the two groups separate. As the morning dragged on, the groups mostly hurled insults at each other.
“This is a place of diversity,” shouted one man across a police line at Trump loyalists. “This is the home of Harold Washington. Get out of my city.”
A visibly-agitated man shouted at a female counter-protester with short hair that she looked like a "boy."
After loud chants of “racists go home” and “you guys are assholes,” counter-demonstrators wheeled in a sound system, and at one point a few began singing Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Element,’ slightly changing up the words to say “if I gotta slap a nazi I'ma make it look sexy.”
The angriest white dude among the Trump loyalists is really upset about a counter demonstrator's hair #MarchAgainstSharia Chicago pic.twitter.com/vpiVpbNaIQ
— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) June 10, 2017
More from Chicago #MarchAgainstSharia pic.twitter.com/05hVTG7MVn
— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) June 10, 2017
Counter demonstrators broke out a sound system with some jams #MarchAgainstSharia Chicago pic.twitter.com/TPxPIZyTZT
— Aaron Cynic (@aaroncynic) June 10, 2017
Demonstrators dispersed after about two hours, with police escorting Trump loyalists across the river while counter protesters chanted “hey hey, goodbye.”
“All across this country today, people came out and shut the racists down,” said John Beacham of Answer Chicago. “There was nowhere in this country they were victorious. The people came out and showed what the real power, the real force in this country—LGBTQ, Muslims, immigrants, black people, latinos, young people, workers, women—locking arms shoulder to shoulder to oppose racism.”