Midwest Unrest
Encyclopedia
Midwest Unrest was a small collective in Chicago
formed by anarchists
and anti-capitalists
in a planning meeting for that city's mobilization to the protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas
summit in Miami in November 2003. Midwest Unrest organized a pre-mobilization consulta, and took part in the week of protests that was met with a style of repression now often referred to as the Miami model
. It then organized a protest locally against the Central American Free Trade Agreement that December, and became something of a fixture of citywide and anti-fascist protests in Chicago. Additionally, as a result of connections made via the anti-FTAA consulta, it attempted to formalize networking with similar groups regionally.
The collective experienced internal conflict the next August over allegations of rape
that were leveled against one of its members, who was then expelled from the group.
More recently, the Midwest Unrest collective participated in a citywide campaign to prevent threatened service cuts and fare increases by the Chicago Transit Authority
. Through aggressive agitation
in public hearings, meetings and flyering, the group pushed the Fare Strike
tactic set for December 15 of 2004. The CTA postponed its decision for six months in what many community groups in the city heralded as a victory.
As of 2006, the Midwest Unrest collective has disbanded.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
formed by anarchists
Anarchist communism
Anarchist communism is a theory of anarchism which advocates the abolition of the state, markets, money, private property, and capitalism in favor of common ownership of the means of production, direct democracy and a horizontal network of voluntary associations and workers' councils with...
and anti-capitalists
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
in a planning meeting for that city's mobilization to the protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas
Free Trade Area of the Americas
The Free Trade Area of the Americas , , ) was a proposed agreement to eliminate or reduce the trade barriers among all countries in the Americas but Cuba. In the last round of negotiations, trade ministers from 34 countries met in Miami, United States, in November 2003 to discuss the proposal...
summit in Miami in November 2003. Midwest Unrest organized a pre-mobilization consulta, and took part in the week of protests that was met with a style of repression now often referred to as the Miami model
Miami model
The Miami model is a term used to describe the tactics employed by law enforcement agencies during demonstrations in Miami, Florida relating to the negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas trade agreement in November 2003...
. It then organized a protest locally against the Central American Free Trade Agreement that December, and became something of a fixture of citywide and anti-fascist protests in Chicago. Additionally, as a result of connections made via the anti-FTAA consulta, it attempted to formalize networking with similar groups regionally.
The collective experienced internal conflict the next August over allegations of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
that were leveled against one of its members, who was then expelled from the group.
More recently, the Midwest Unrest collective participated in a citywide campaign to prevent threatened service cuts and fare increases by the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
. Through aggressive agitation
Agitator
An agitator is a person who actively supports some ideology or movement with speeches and especially actions. The Agitators were a political movement as well as elected representatives of soldiers, including the New Model Army of Oliver Cromwell, during the English Civil War. They were also known...
in public hearings, meetings and flyering, the group pushed the Fare Strike
Fare Strike
A fare strike is a direct action in which people in a city with a public transit system carry out mass fare evasion as a method of protest. Jumping turnstiles, boarding buses through the back or very quickly through the front, and leaving doors open in subway stations are all tactics that have been...
tactic set for December 15 of 2004. The CTA postponed its decision for six months in what many community groups in the city heralded as a victory.
As of 2006, the Midwest Unrest collective has disbanded.