Citizen reporter Shani Smith was among a group of Chicagoans who traveled to Washington D.C. Here is her story about the Take Back the Capitol events.
Take Back the Capitol was a national call to action, which invited people from across the US to take a stand against economic inequalities. The December 5th week of action, held in Washington, D.C., sent legislators running, locked down lobbyist groups, and carved out a paradigmatic conversation around economic justice.
The largest delegation of hundreds of citizens, sponsored by Stand Up Chicago, left the city before dusk on December 5th. The group was lively as their luggage was stored and they met new people; it was at this very moment when an unexpected conversation around economic justice emerged. This was a group of ordinary people who had clear demands of jobs that pay living wages, extension of unemployment benefits, and for Congress to represent the needs of the 99% over the 1%. This was a delegation of U.S. citizens that neither allowed the media, nor Congress to set their agenda.
Read more at An Inside Look at Take Back the Capitol « IIRON.
According to Stand Up Chicago, “Sen. Mark Kirk hid in his office. Rep. Don Manzullo hid in an elevator. Rep. Adam Kinzinger failed to come back from lunch. And Rep. Joe Walsh sneaked down the back stairs while his constituents asked him repeatedly to meet with them.”
ChicagoTalks contacted Kirk’s office, who have yet to respond to two messages left. Here is video of the group’s attempts to meet with Illinois Congressmen.
