Chicage Action against Media Program

by Chicago Dept Space and Land Reclamation Tuesday, Jul. 24, 2001 at 4:40 PM

Interesting targeted protest against a media vehicle, "the Real World".... or surreal, yuppie-dom world, more realistically.....



The demonstrations/parties in front of the Real World house have proven more poignant than many originally thought. The Gestapo over reaction by the Chicago police, and Sargent Crawford in particular, reveals a connection between police power and the media that we have long suspected. It is quite apparent at this point that for the city of Chicago, the Real World is a giant advertisement for Chicago’s urban renewal. They are hoping that this will show Chicago as a major contender as a global city. A great place for affluence without the hassles of most urban areas.

It is an issue that is deep within the city on many fronts and is directly correlated to globalism in general. The tearing down of Cabrini Green, the developing of UIC Village and the destruction of Maxwell Street, the rampant gentrification and the spread of Starbucks and the total criminalization of the poor. All these issues are very related to Daly’s plan to make Chicago, a global city of the future. Real World party/protest attendee Ian Heimlich felt the weight of the city’s unweilding global plan as his head bounced off the sidewalk. 15 other arrestees felt it as they were carted off to jail.

The word on the street is, and it makes all the sense in the world, that the alderman called down to make sure nothing went down at the Real World house. When people arrived at 11PM, there were already tactical teams on the roof of the construction site next door. Around the corner awaited Sargent Crawford. Unlike demonstrating in front of some condoned sector (like a government building), the Real World demo has directly threatened their urban renewal plan. With each action, the actors get nervous, the producers are on the phone, and most importantly, potential film and television production crews are crossing Chicago off their list as a potential location. The house is a vulnerable site for the city and they know it. Now we know it as well.

What happened in Genoa is a macrocosm of similar issues. The Gestapo tactics of the Carbinari are being utilized because no one in power is willing to stop the new force of globalism. Every city, country, province has their game plan for reaping the benefits of a new shift in power. We are the ones who stand to lose from this. The Chicago police, Sargent Crawford in particular, came out in full force because they were told to do so from the higher rungs of Chicago dirty politics. They went gung ho when they sensed dollars and cents at risk. This is why we must keep up our tactics.

The arrests on Saturday night all occurred on the sidewalk. One couldn’t even call it a demonstration as no one was chanting (minus two people who were arrested for doing so) and there was hardly a large crowd. Everyone was arrested for simply asking what was going on. This is what the Real World looks like. There are plans for ongoing actions in order to bring to light the direct connection between supposed trivial media moguls like MTV/Viacom, the real estate plans of the city of Chicago, and the corporate servitude of the brutal and unconstitutional Chicago Police Department. (Sargent Crawford in particular)

Original: Chicage Action against Media Program