C Drew - Street Artist Adventures

Art Patch by C. Drew - Support worker's bargaining rights.

Teachers, nurses, firefighters, students, police officers and others protesting in Wisconsin have occupied the Capitol building and streets of Madison for the past eleven days.

Ron Grenko captures C. Drew printing in below freezing temperatures in a corner just out of the snow.

Yesterday, on Saturday at noon, their protest went national. In cities across the nation, including every state capital, we came together to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin.

This time the Republicans have gone too far in their attempts to bust unions, slash state budgets, and give tax breaks to their wealthy friends.

Photographer Ron Grenko shows the simple setup of C. Drew printing in public.

So Saturday we stood up in Chicago to say that we’re sick of the attacks on workers’ rights. That we’re sick of an economy that showers corporate executives with bonuses while squeezing middle-class families. That we still believe in the American Dream. And that we’re willing to fight for it.

Screen I took to print free patches at the Rally in Chicago.

John Sheehan was out at the MoveOn.org’s rally to show solidarity for the workers in Wisconsin who are struggling to maintain their bargaining rights in the face of a right wing attack by conservative Governer Walker. Walker is a puppet for the Koch energy billionaire whose goal is to destroy worker’s rights to organize and bargain for a fair wage in America.

View at the State of Illinois Center at Saturday's Rally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylzCTW8OtUc

John Shot this video of me while I was printing at the rally and posted it to allow me to tell the world about our fight for freedom in Illinois. It is illegal to audio-record a policeman in public in Illinois. In fact, I have been charged with a class 1 felony for this act while being arrested for the misdemeanor of selling art for $1 on State Street in Chicago.

After the speakers the people organized a march around Chicago's Loop.

I brought my art patch screen made for this occasion to the rally to spread the knowledge of our fight to other activists. The battle is on across this country. The TeaParty which is funded by Koch and a few wealthy corporate industrialists have a plan. They intend to use this depression and their money to manipulate the anger of those hurt by the hard times to turn working people on working people.

This rally was organized by MoveOn.org in four days and packed the plaza at its height.

We must work together to create a new awareness and movement for freedom. The issues of people fighting at the grass roots level are many and varied but can help us band together to support each other. We are all a part of a whole. We can change this nation.

I gave away all the patches I pre-printed and all the patches I printed on the spot. The people came to me to get the patches as I printed them. By the end of the rally very few patches were left. The People united will never be defeated.

The latest Free Speech Artists’ Movement E-mail is posted at
http://community.icontact.com/p/community1112/newsletters/blog/posts/illinois-viewed-from-egypt

Art Patch "FS Boy" by Jeneba Koroma

I wrote:
"I watched a TV drama on Rosa Parks tonight. It is very good to be reminded about the real heros here in America. The risks and trials we take and live under are small compared to what they dared do. I remain humble in comparison but certain it is my duty to be truthful to this cause and my duty to be the best test case for your right to audio-record police in public. And to defend artists’ rights to sell their art in public."

Kami Wrote:
You’re in good company with Rosa Parks as a humble civil rights fighter, Chris. I think we’re all in sync with each other working on this critical issue and watching the history happening in Egypt and Haiti. I’ve been hearing some interviews on Democracy, Now — have we talked about that show before?? It airs on NPR but it’s also featured on the liberal radio station out here (Green960am) in San Francisco and it’s on free podcast in itunes for both the audio and video feed of the podcasts. I’ve been glued to their coverage but they’ve also had some great recent interviews with Noam Chomsky and Harry Belafonte, in the shadow of the unrest and Obama’s tepid State of the Union speech, reminding us to stay radical and keep our politicians and judges honest and sensitive to what’s going on with the common people. Hearing their voices is so healing and inspiring. It’s too easy to distract and numb ourselves to the truth of what’s going on and not see the connection we have to the injustices and horrors in Haiti and Egypt as well as our own cities and all across the states. Your case is a major civil rights issue for this new tech era we’re living in. How many Egyptian protesters have had the crap beaten out of them by pro-Mubarek goons for carrying tape recorders, cameras and video recorders?? What would it have been like for you if you had been all alone on State street that day and encountered some of the more unsavory variety of bullying, abusive Chicago cops?? Your fight is our fight, Chris. You’re making history for every artist in this country.

much love,