Progress Illinois

As part of the build up to Sunday's NATO summit protest, Occupy Chicago marched to Daley Plaza in Chicago today with a focus on foreclosures. Speakers demanded that Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart implement a one-year moratorium on evicting homeowners who face foreclosure.

The specific demand was partly answered by the sheriff’s office, with Dart Deputy Chief of Staff Dana Wright showing up at the rally. Wright pledged that Dart would meet with two Occupy delegates this afternoon and suggested that a later public meeting could take place. Read more »

The following was written by Mike Reed of the South Suburban MoveOn Council.

Citizens who are concerned about the huge increases in home foreclosures in Illinois are meeting at the Bank of America, 4800 Southwick Drive (Rt. 30 and Cicero Ave.) Matteson, at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday to speak against the often illegal practices of mortgagers—and in support of Illinois House Bill 5665, which they hope will pass through the legislature and help put an end to the problem.

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In a show of victory, about 50 activists returned to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) yesterday with a giant check for $33 million — and the now infamous golden toilet meant to symbolize the millions of dollars in TIF money allocated to the CME Group to renovate CBOT's bathrooms. The giant check was indicative of the collective $33 million in TIF funds that were returned last week — including the $15 million the CME Group turned down — by Bank of America, CNA, and the financial exchange.

“We took our money back from CME, and now we’re ready to get that money for jobs for our people,” said Charles Brown, a retired police officer and organizer with Action Now, at the rally.

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Liberate the Southside – an ad-hoc group of Chicago clergymen, community organizers, and local residents – do not believe the “Occupy” movement should be limited to geographic locations like streets and cities.

They are interested in a more literal form of occupation: placing homeless families in abandoned houses that have been foreclosed on by big banks.
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