Dear Occupy Chicago,
Two weeks ago you and your activist
brothers and sister were asked to test your mettle against an
imposing force. In defense of the rights of people around the world
to live free from the secret machinations and oppression of the elite
ruling class you put yourselves on the line against the tools of that
class, the Chicago Police Department. Against their own brethren in
the 99% the CPD unleashed weapons of intimidation and when those
failed violence. They stood against their own people and lashed out
against those weaker then themselves.
And now they need our help
Mayor Emmanuel is shorting the CPD who
worked NATO on their overtime and trying to defer what limited
payments he actually intends to make. In the two weeks since the
summit the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago has filed four
grievances against the Mayors office, all pending. The grievances
refer, in no particular order, to the following violations of the
union contract: Not compensating officers with overtime who worked
more than five consecutive days in a calendar week, forcing officers
to take overtime pay as compensation rather than substituting time
off, canceling furlough days within two weeks leading up to the
summit, and ensuring correct compensation for officers whose shifts
were adjusted two hours or more in either direction for the summit.
Many of these officers on top of that were put in a position to work
twelve or more hours on the days of the summit. Given the heat and
riot gear it could easily have been predicted that they would strike
out with undo severity at the slightest provocation.
I am not suggesting that the CPD acted
justifiably or rightly last May. I am not suggesting that what their
tactics of intimidation and violence were in anyway proportional or
appropriate for the peaceful protest that we and our brothers and
sisters brought to them. I am suggesting that they are members of
the 99%. They are currently facing the oppression of the snake
tongued denizens of the wealthy oligarchs of this city and they need
our help.
They probably don't want our help.
Most reports from those who know members of the CPD, are that they
are not friendly to our movement in the least. They see us as a
nuisance and a threat. But nonetheless, if we are to stand by the
message from last fall that we are all the 99% then it is our
responsibility to stand and fight for the CPD to get their due
overtime compensation.
This movement cannot stand if we fall
victim to pride. As a overwhelmingly peaceful movement we must look
to the methods of our predecessors that worked. It is not enough to
simply be non-violent, that is as ineffective as the “black bloc”
critics within our ranks accuse. We must be a force for truth. We
must lay down our pride, and focus solely on that which accomplishes
our goal. During WWII Gandhi suspended all actions against Great
Britain. He did not wish to fight his enemy while they were down.
His goal was for the two nations, India and the UK to exit as
friends. This must be our goal as well. Should we win this struggle
for a truly just society, should we win this fight to end oligarchy;
we will create a world that the members of the CPD must live in too.
IT behooves us to recognize out common plight. It is in our best
interest to swallow our pride. It is ultimately our responsibility,
as those to fight oppression, to fight for those who are falling
victim to the lies of the 1%. We can only stand to gain.
So I am calling for action against the
CPD. I am calling for a march in support of the Fraternal Order of
Police. I am calling the 99% to action. We are better than their
false divisions and it's time we showed that.
In Solidarity
Zachary Johnson-Dunlop
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