BY CAPPY KIDD
CHICAGO - An emergency picket line against the U.S./NATO
bombing of Yugoslavia drew wide media coverage in the area.
Just a few hours after the bombing of Yugoslavia was announced, some 35 people converged on the Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago, carrying signs saying "U.S. Out of Yugoslavia," "Stop the Bombing of Yugoslavia and Iraq," and "Self-Determination for Kosova." The protesters chanted, "1,2,3,4, stop the US/NATO war" and "Stop the Bombing Now." The rally was covered by the local ABC television affiliate, local Fox News, the Spanish-language Univision channel 66, WMAQ-AM (a major all-news radio station), National Public Radio and the Chicago Sun-Times. Several participants were interviewed at length including Joshua Carroll, recent mayoral candidate for the Socialist Workers Party, which called the demonstration.
Several passersby congratulated the pickets, one came forward to shake hands. Every passerby shown on the ABC news story that night opposed the bombing.
One of those at the picket line was Mary M. Johnson, a veteran prison-reform, anti-death penalty, and anti-police brutality activist. "The bombing of Yugoslavia is wrong," Johnson told the Militant. The U.S. rulers "are always interfering in other people's business when they can't even bring justice in the United States." Johnson continued, "I heard them talking on TV about this bombing as if they were playing some video game. I identify with people of Kosova who are fighting for their independence; however, here it is the U.S. government that crushes the aspirations of its own people for independence."
Speakers at a brief rally to conclude the picket included Carroll of the SWP, Leighton Christensen of the International Socialist Organization, and Rev. Ron Schupp.