'We won't stop until every vote is counted'
1,000 rally in Chicago to demand votes be counted ‘from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and from Detroit to Atlanta’
Protesters leave Daley Plaza and head toward Trump Tower in a march to defend the election Wednesday in Chicago. (One Illinois/Ted Cox)
By Ted Cox
A thousand people rallied and marched in Chicago’s Loop Wednesday evening to demand that votes are counted across the country to determine the presidential race.
“The will of the people will be heard today,” said union leader Erica Bland-Durosinmi in heading the demonstration at Daley Plaza. “The people have spoken. Across race and place, we voted in overwhelming numbers to move this country forward.
“From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and Detroit to Atlanta, ballots still need to be counted.”
The demonstration, organized by Indivisible Chicago, the Chicago Teachers Union, and locals with the Service Employees International Union, along with other labor groups, took place as votes continued to be counted in several states across the country, but also as former Vice President Joe Biden closed in on the 270 votes in the Electoral College that would defeat President Donald Trump in his bid for reelection.
Trump backers attempted to disrupt the count in a Detroit convention center, and Trump has tried to delegitimize the vote throughout, including his attempt to claim victory early Wednesday morning.
“When he said this morning that he won that election, that was a challenge to the people of this country,” said Kobi Guillory, co-chairman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
At the same time on Wednesday, Biden was declared the winner in Wisconsin and Michigan, and appeared to be closing in on 270 Electoral College votes as he was leading in Arizona and Nevada, which would seal the election. As votes continued to be counted in Georgia and Pennsylvania, Biden was also closing Trump’s lead in those states as well.
“There are efforts to suppress votes that were cast legally, and we will not stop until every vote is counted,” said Bland-Durosinmi, executive vice president of SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana. “This election is about making sure that no matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you have the right to vote, and that vote should be counted. Your voice deserves to be heard.
“As we stand here, votes and being counted, and attempts are being made to stop votes from being counted,” she added. “We are going to do everything in our power to make sure that votes are counted.”
Union leaders said they intended to “protect and defend our democratic rights” and “ensure the sanctity of this election” when they announced the rally on Monday. They issued a joint statement saying: “We stand firmly in opposition to any effort to subvert, distort, misrepresent, or disregard the final outcome. We invite our fellow members of the labor movement to join us in defense of these democratic rights.” They threatened a general strike if the issue came to a head.
The actual rally was joined by an array of groups and had a festive atmosphere as about 1,000 people gathered at Daley Plaza at nightfall Wednesday. After brief remarks, the protesters marched toward the Trump International Hotel and Tower, although they were prevented from crossing the Chicago River as a bridge was raised.