On October 8, 2011, Chicago activist Pat Hunt was arrested over two alleged ordinance violations during the Chicago grassroots protest over the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan.

On December 6th, the City of Chicago dropped the charges against Hunt. National Lawyers Guild attorney Jeff Frank said that the violations were simply a cover for harassing protesters, and Hunt was targeted because she was the signatory of the protest permit application. Indeed, an attorney with the city even admitted: "You know, this is just practice for G8/NATO." Read more

The December 2011 episode of Chicago Independent Television features segments about the 10th anniversary of 9/11 with dueling demonstrations squaring off at ground zero, the sordid history of Chicago's new mayor Rahm Emanuel, and reaction from Chicago media activists to the "hackergate" scandal rocking the media empire of News Corporation's Rupert Murdoch.

Read more about Episode 73 | CIMC TV Podcast | CIMC Video Page | CITV on YouTube | CITV on Free Speech TV | CITV on iTunes

The November 2011 episode of From The Trenches features presentations from Media Democracy Day 2011, held in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, featuring presentations on the history of Chicago's media, the leading media democracy stories of 2011, and a depiction of community media involvement. Plus headlines from the worldwide Indymedia network.

Download November 2011 episode | Chicago Indymedia's radio page | CIMC / FTT Radio podcast feed | From The Trenches on iTunes

The November 2011 episode of Chicago Independent Television includes segments direct from the scenes of Occupy Wall Street in New York and Occupy Chicago in the Windy City, as well as with a recent protest for peace in Chicago on the tenth anniversary of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

Read more about Episode 72 | CIMC TV Podcast | CIMC Video Page | CITV on YouTube | CITV on Free Speech TV | CITV on iTunes

"Thousands gathered and marched on October 22 for the second weekend in a row to occupy public space at Congress Parkway and Michigan Avenue as part of the groundswell of support for the international 'Occupy Wall Street' movement for economic justice. More than a hundred occupiers were arrested — including National Nurses United nurses for refusing to abandon their first aid tent to support protesters/occupiers in Grant Park. Nurses are calling an emergency picket on Monday, October 24 at 10AM at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., to demand that all charges against protesters be dropped and the City end its refusal to grant public access to public spaces and end its attacks on civil liberties.

Indymedia coverage: PHOTOS: Protest — Occupy Chicago 10-22 | Press Release condemning arrests/call for Monday morning protest/National Nurses United | Occupy Chicago: "Free speech does not end at 11PM!" | Video: Occupy Chicago takes Liberation Square at Michigan Avenue and Congress | Occupy Chicago breaking updates/website

From the newswire: "1,500 people gathered at Congress Parkway and Michigan Avenue to protest the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the US war in Afghanistan — the longest war in U.S. history [and Afghanistan history too]. At the end, hundreds marched [throughout downtown Chicago and went] to the Occupy Chicago/Occupy Wall Street picket at Jackson and LaSalle St."

Indymedia coverage: PHOTOS: Protest — 10 years of war in Afghanistan | Video: Rally and March for Peace on 10th Anniversary of War in Afghanstan | Previous Feature: Chicago Peace Activists Gearing Up for 10th Anniversary Afghanistan War Protest

It began as a call in July 2011 by the magazine Adbusters to hold powerful business interests on Wall Street to account, and drawing on inspiration from the famed 2011 grassroots protests across the Middle East. But the mantle has been taken up by grassroots activists in New York City to forge an ongoing occupation outside of Wall Street and throughout New York City. The effort in its first two weeks has spurred a national movement with sibling efforts in at least 130 other cities, including Chicago.

Occupy Chicago, merely a week old, has already drawn hundreds of grassroots protesters, who "march…each day…After an hour long general assembly meeting, demonstrators headed through the financial district, Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile and back to base camp to once more spread messages of solidarity, positivity and persistence in the face of a political system that’s left 99% of Americans without a real voice in governance…While it may be young and still trying to get organized, the movement to Occupy America is growing and cohering. And though many went home after Saturday’s march, more than a hundred stayed to continue organizing and evangelizing, with no plans to leave until they feel their job is done." Read more: Dancing with the Dispossessed - One Week into Occupy Chicago

Update: Occupy Chicago threatened by Chicago police to stop

Additional Coverage: Lessons Learned from Occupy Wall Street | Five Things that Occupy Wall Street Did Right | Occupy Chicago Entering Day 6 | Protestors Occupy Chicago in Solidarity with Occupy Wall St NY | An American Spring is Possible | Open Letter to Occupy Chicago

Outside Resources: Think Progress; NY Times' Andrew Ross Sorking Sneers at Occupy Wall Street | Protests Work Better with Specific Demands | Occupy Wall Street Makes Its Own Media | In These Times' coverage of Occupy Chicago | Chicago Talks: The Local Angle on Occupy Chicago
| Chicago Traders respond to protesters with signs reading "We are the 1%"

Social Media Resources: Tumblr | Twitter | Live Video Stream

Chicago peace activists under the banner for Chicago Mass Action are organizing the Midwest Regional March for Peace. The rally and march, to be held at the intersection of Michigan and Congress on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at 12pm CT, marks ten years since the start of the U.S. war and occupation in Afghanistan, launched in the wake of 9/11.

When the war in Afghanistan was announced, some 800 activists marched in protest in downtown Chicago in October 2001 when the war in Afghanistan was announced. In the build-up to the events on October 8, 2011, a variety of peace actions across the Chicago area are being organized.