Protests extending solidarity to Palestine have been ever present in Chicago since Oct. 7, but as some believe the fire of the resistance is dimming down, protesters in Chicago are making it clear that they have not gone anywhere. Two important protests were held in downtown Chicago that had significant participation from School of the Art Institute of Chicago students. 

On Feb. 29, four days after Aaron Bushnell self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., a vigil organized by Behind Enemy Lines was held in front of the Israeli consulate in Chicago with more than 200 attendees, including SAIC students. At the center of the collective, a stand was placed with his framed photo so everyone could light candles around it. 

The air at the vigil was filled with the pain of mourning, and to support Bushnell’s cause, people took turns reading poetry into the microphone, loudly enough for the city to hear during the busy evening. Many families brought their kids along and held candles in silence. Surrounded by policemen on their bikes from all sides, the vigil went on for two hours while the protesters stood with their flags and posters around Bushnell’s photo.

Then on March 16, during the Saint Patrick’s Day parade, while the whole city came outside to celebrate in green, protesters took to the streets to show that the responsibility to keep supporting the Palestinian resistance is important, even amidst celebration. 

Walking through West Madison Street, they gathered in front of the Israeli Consulate to chant, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

As the crowd chants at the tops of their lungs, a woman holds her silent ground, holding an imitative infant made of wood.

The protest on March 16 was intentionally planned to be on the same day as one of the busiest days in Chicago, to question what prompts people to leave their houses.

The police create a cycle barricade for the supporters holding a vigil for Aaron Bushnell.

Protesters contribute to an altar set up to commemorate Aaron Bushnell, who self-immolated on Feb. 29. in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C.

The symbol of a watermelon, which uses the same colors as the Palestinian flag, is omnipresent at the protests in Chicago and other regions of the world.

A family arrives at the vigil with symbolic clothing and posters. The son proudly waves around the photo of his poster.

The police created a cycle barricade for the peaceful supporters holding a vigil for Aaron Bushnell.