From the newswire: "Seven activists with the Gay Liberation Network (GLN) and the Chicago chapter of the Join The Impact [campaign] were arrested today when they refused to leave the Cook County Marriage License Bureau in Chicago after clerks said they would not issue marriage licenses to same sex couples. Meanwhile, about 400 protesters rallied outside the Bureau and then marched to the Bureau's doors.

"While the Chicago protesters saw their action as a way to help sway the California Supreme Court to throw out Proposition 8, local issues played a role as well. Despite having a state government completely dominated by the supposedly gay-friendly Democratic Party, Illinois doesn't even have civil unions, let alone marriage equality. Moreover, like dozens of states, Illinois has its own "Defense of Marriage Act"; yet the state Democratic Party leadership won't even offer a promise to junk the anti-gay legislation."

Read more / See photos | Chicago Indymedia video coverage

From the newswire: "Peace and immigration rights activists won big late Monday in circuit court when they defeated a City of Chicago emergency motion to put on hold a permit victory that the Chicago Anti-war and Immigrant Rights Coalition (CAIRC) had won in a lower court." [Read Dispatch]

City attorneys claimed that the presiding judge misinterpreted the city ordinance, but the tactic backfired. "[T]he whole [hearing] devolved into semantic hairsplitting reminiscent of the immortal Bill Clinton line about how something "depends on what the meaning of 'is' is. But Associate Judge Joseph M. Sconza wasn't having any of it. " [Read analysis]

But the city is likely to continue its cold-shoulder treatment of activists. As one of the attorneys for the activists stated at a press conference: "The reason we prevailed…was because the city violated a technicality of the permit ordinance. There was no political will to issue a permit, and there still is no political will to issue a permit. So this will continue to go on…" [Watch video of press conference]

Peace and immigrant rights activists won an unprecedented victory in Chicago's Adminstrative Law Court to secure a permit to hold a parade against the war, scheduled for March 14. However, city officials quickly responded back by filing an emergency motion of appeal with barely a day's notice.

A subsequent hearing in Circuit Court resulted in a stalemate of sorts. From the newswire: "What happened today could best be described as us having dodged a bullet. It was not a victory, but fortunately it was not a defeat either. Even though we had no real lawyer and less than 24 hours to prepare, the City attempted to get the judge to rule today on their emergency motion, and hence completely screw us. They were playing very, very dirty. Fortunately the judge told them, at least for now."

A follow-up hearing is scheduled for Monday, February 9, at 2pm at (Room 1107 of the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street), where the presiding judge may hear arguments from attorneys about the merits of this "Emergency Motion". Whether or not activists win the fight over the motion will determine whether or not activists maintain their victory.

Additional Coverage: Chicago vs. anti-war activists, year VII | Video from Press conference - Hearing on Permit for Chicago 6th Anniversary March for Peace (Feb. 3, 2009)

The February episode of Chicago Independent Television features four segments about recent Chicago protests. First, we'll see one of the many sweeping Gaza protests in early 2009. Then, we'll join up with two LGBT-rights actions — one against right-wing ideologue James Dobson, another to protest California's Proposition 8 measure against same-sex marriage. And, we'll also join in with a group of Chicagoans who protested against war during the recent holiday season.

Read more about Episode 44 | CIMC TV Podcast | CIMC Video Page | CITV on YouTube

The January 2009 episode of Chicago Indymedia's monthly radio show "From The Trenches" features the following: Camp Hope, a 19 day demonstration organized by Voices for Creative Nonviolence opens in Hyde Park; Also, Camp Hope's forum — Witness Against Torture: From Guantanamo to the Streets of Chicago with speakers: Sonia De Santiago, Marc Falkoff, and Flint Taylor. And, a visit to the Fox Valley Electric Auto Association and a conversion class at Morton Community College in Cicero.

Download entire show | Chicago Indymedia's radio page | CIMC / FTT Radio podcast feed

Hundreds of concerned students, teachers, parents, and concerned citizens converged to a Chicago Public School board meeting, protested in the streets, and staged a downtown rally. The coalition called on a moratorium of the controversial "Renaissance 2010" plan to privatize Chicago Public Schools — ostensibly under the rubric of "underutilization" and "failing test scores", though poised to accelerate trends of gentrification and displacing low-income communities.

The current announced changes would result in at least five closed schools, five more schools consolidated into other schools, and five more schools slated for phase-out. The plans are a legacy of outgoing Chicago Schools CEO Arne Duncan, who has been tapped as the Obama Administration's Secretary of Education.

Chicago Indymedia posts: Massive Protest Fires Opening Shot | Photo essay: 1.28 Stop School Closures Rally at the Board! | The battle to save our schools in Chicago | Media Activist Call-Out for Hearings on School Closings!

Additional Coverage: Teachers for Justice: Stop the Proposed School Closings!! NO to R2010!! | SouthwestYouth Collaborative's Photos - No More School Closings & Privatization | Gapers Block: Over a Thousand Protest Renaissance 2010 | Rally calls for moratorium on school closings | Substance News: Daley shuts out protesters after tumultuous Board of Education meeting | CORE: The Caucus of Rank and File Educators

Another year passes, and Chicago Indymedia is there to chart the year that was in Chicago political activism. And with it comes Chicago Indymedia's annual Year In Review — a collection of the local links to Chicago Indymedia's newswire, sorted by category. With 420 links in the 2008 Year in Review, Chicago Indymedia again breaks its own record for links in a Year In Review.

Chicago lost a giant tonight, with the death of community activist Beauty Turner, who died late this afternoon after suffering a stroke several days ago that left her in a coma. She was 51. For those who didn't know Beauty, she was a tireless fighter against police brutality and state violence, and lent her formidable organizing and writing skills to the battle for justice for public housing residents and working class people throughout the metro area. Read more.