Defend Protest. Taken on November 12, 2025 at Federal Plaza. Six Broadview protestors were indicted by the federal government. Their arraignment was held in the federal court building across the street. We pulled together a small, mid-day protest to show our support and to "Defend Protest".
It has been a very long year in so many ways. I always knew that I would end my daily photo project at the end of 2024, but I hadn't planned to take so few photos in 2025. There was so much to do this year with protests, organizing and resistance, so there never seemed to be time for photos. And there was so much to focus on at those protests and actions that I would never take out my camera and as the year wore on, I just left it at home so there would be one less thing to carry and to worry about. And even when I found time for walks and had my camera – my mind was often planning something or watching for something, not looking and taking photos.
So, here are some photos of me, not taken by me. They are evidence that I was busy. I do actually have some photos from the year that I will post in the near future, and I want to return to more photography in 2025 as a way to make more sense of things, to be more present, and to find beauty and joy in the midst of so much hate, cruelty and anger.
And as I was gathering all of these photos mostly that were saved on my phone, I came across a photo of a slide that I took somewhere with this quite by Eve L. Ewing that seems a perfect way to leave 2025 and enter 2026:
"When we throw up our hands and pronounce, we're doomed – we abdicate our responsibility to those who come after us, those who will look to us as ancestors. Further, we disrespect the struggles of those who came before us, who fought and laughed and wrote and built things – not because they believed they would win every battle, but because it was essential for us. . . .Who are we, then, to abandon these inheritances."
So here we come 2026, doomed or not – we will resist and fight and protest and we will do it with righteous anger and with love and joy!
Beautiful Day for a Protest. Taken on Michigan Ave. on March 30, 2025. We helped support and sponsor the rally and march celebrating Trans Day of Visibility. This is my favorite protest photo taken by our friend Paul Goyette. Just as we stepped off the march a thunderstorm moved through with a lot of rain, lightening and thunder but no tornadoes, so we we marched on. We had to laugh.We Keep Us Safe. Taken at Federal Plaza before the Hands Off protest on April 5, 2025. I some version of this photo of our marshal team taken at almost every protest large and small. This was the first of the three big protests that we led in 2025. I picked this photo because by the time we got to the later large protests, there were so many of us you can hardly find anyone, and this one managed to include both me a Mony together.From the Stage. Taken at Butler Field in Grant Park on October 18, 2025. I have versions of this photo taken at all the larger protests too. Mony and I got to the stage or front of the march and take a selfie together. I am not sure this was the best photo but the it was definitely the biggest crowd -- over 200,000 protestors came to declare Hands Off Chicago and No Kings! Right after this Mony managed the stage and I staged step off of the march.Let Me Tell You. Taken at the corner of Wacker and Michigan Ave. on March 8, 2025. We supported a rally and march for International Women's Day at Daley Plaza and intended to march to Michigan and Chicago where we planned a Tesla Takedown rally and march. The Chicago Police Department blocked us and told us we could not even walk on the sidewalk. Thank you to Paul Goyette for capturing the intensity of the moment. We eventually took several routes to get folks to the Tesla action where we continued our protest.Saying No to the Want-to-be King. Taken at Daley Plaza on June 14, 2025. This was the second large protest of the year -- the first No Kings protest. There were twice as many people as in April and half the number who would show up in October. It was a trip to speak on stage and declare No to Kings, No to ICE and No to Tyranny!Stepping Off the March. Taken on Jackson and Columbus on October 18m 2025. Staging and stepping off a march is always a bit of a scrum -- but this was particularly intense with an enormous crowd of over 200,000, the Governor and Lt. Governor at the front of the march, and the police making us wait while they shut down additional lanes of traffic. The Governor's photographer took this photo. Pritzker looks relaxed and in command -- and I look a little intense.Stop the Abductions. Taken on Clark street south of Congress on April 26, 2025. This was a small protest early in the year before the abductions in Chicago started at the scale we would see in the fall. We helped lead a small action to protest the kidnapping and abduction of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. I am not sure where this photo came from.We only want to sing carols. Taken at Navy Pier on December6, 2025. When we learned on Friday that Kristi Noem was going use the delivery of Christmas trees as a photo op, we organized about 40 of us to go there with some signs and carols to call out her cruelty and hypocrisy. At least as many cops showed up to tell us that we could not sign carols in a public park. We stalled an negotiated for about an hour and then moved to a public street where we made even more noise, easily heard by her and the media.
