Boeing targeted in anti-NATO protest
May 21, 2012, 6:31 AM | Updated: 8:08 am
Chicago police officers with a police dog prepare for protests as a NATO summit enters its second and final day. Many companies heeded official advice and are letting their workers stay home for the day. (AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley)
(AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley)
Boeing’s downtown Chicago headquarters are protected by fences and aluminum Monday morning as the company prepares for a day-long anti-NATO protest.
Protesters say Boeing is a war machine that builds war machines, and that’s why they will march to the company’s headquarters in Chicago on Monday, the final day of a NATO summit in the city.
Protest organizers are calling for an end to war and an end to NATO.
Forty-five people were arrested during protests in the city on Sunday. Monday’s protests were expected to be far smaller, but authorities maintained a stepped-up presence throughout downtown and surrounding areas.
Many downtown offices told employees to stay home Monday because of traffic snarls and the risk of more protests after a weekend of demonstrations that drew thousands into the streets.
Boeing has 500 people in its Chicago headquarters. The offices were largely deserted Monday because it was among the companies that told workers to stay home. In a statement, protesters seized on that as a victory: “Our call to action shut down the Boeing war machine.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
