No Games Chicago protests in Federal Plaza

April 2, 2009

The exterior buildings and bus stops of downtown Chicago covered in colorful “We Back the Bid” advertisements surround the No Games Chicago protestors carrying black and white “No Olympic Games” picket signs and shouting “Leave us be IOC.”

A group of about 200 protestors rallied at Dearborn and Adams in Federal Plaza Thursday to demonstrate their opposition to the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid. They marched to the AON building on Columbus Drive just north of Millennium Park where the Chicago 2016 offices are held. Organizers gathered at 4 p.m., drawing attention to bypassers who were interested in what they had to say. Many joined in the rally, donating their afternoon to standing in the cold weather, hopefully of a chance to get on television.

“The games would displace a lot of people from poor housing,” said Eric Stone, 24, who is visiting Chicago from San Francisco and experienced the housing problems caused by the Vancouver Olympic Games. “I just decided to stop and see what the commotion was all about.”

A recent survey commissioned by the bid committee found that 78 percent of the public supports Chicago’s Olympic bid. Yet, several demonstrations are scheduled for this week to draw attention from the visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC).

With Chicago Police standing nearby on bicycles, picketers Jonathon Brown, 20, from Colorado Springs, and Isaac Kester, 18, from Kansas City, said that “It just doesn’t make sense to spend millions of dollars on the Olympics when Chicago needs that funding for housing, hospitals and schools.”

No Games Chicago wants “better hospitals, housing, schools and trains- not games.” Members and organizers marked with neon green arm bands passed out fact sheets that said Chicago will lose money by hosting the Olympics and that it will cause housing and displacement problems like it has done in past cities who hosted the Games.

“I don’t understand why Chicago would put money into something that we don’t need,” said Mara Pitcher, 24, who lives on Chicago’s South Side. “We already have too many financial problems with our schools and hospitals. These things need to be fixed first.”

“We need to stop Mayor Daley from making Chicago’s worst financial decision ever,” said Ron Desnat, 63.

Whereas Chicago 2016 asks Chicagoans to “Help Chicago Shine,” No Games Chicago says “Rally. Speak out. Protest. Shut down the Olympic bid!”