That toddlin' town...

Yesterday at 61st & Cottage Grove

Students 'die-in" to save their schools

Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle, an organizer with Southside Together Organizing for Power, and others called the event — in which students blocked traffic in the intersection of 61st Street and Cottage Grove Avenue — a "die-in." Students wore mock-bloody clothes in an effort to show the effect they believe school closings will have: more violence and death for the young students forced to cross new gang territories.

"The message is that school closings are killing people," Ginsberg-Jaeckle said. "Everyone knows what will happen when these kids start crossing these gang lines."  The students laid down in the intersection, blocking traffic for several minutes before being taken away by police after refusing to leave, witnesses said.  -- DNAInfo Chicago

 High school student Pilar Castro was one of those who was arrested moments after she told fellow demonstrators, “All my great teachers taught me that if you believe in something, you can make change.” -- CBS Chicago

Rahm pushing former top cop Hilliard on New Orleans. Why?

Like their very unpopular move to close 54 Chicago public schools, their war with the Chicago Teacher's Union, their refusal to apologize to the African-American community on behalf of the City for decades of police torture, and their continued funding of Jon Burge's defense, Emanuel and Burke's advocacy for Terry Hillard is yet another galling manifestation of their abiding lack of respect for Chicago's African-American community. -- G. Flint Taylor, Huffington Post

From the Jersey Jazzman

Chicago teachers, I hope you understand how lucky you are to have this woman as your local's president. I hope you understand how many teachers outside of Chicago wish they had a strong labor leader willing to stand up for their rights. I hope you appreciate what Lewis means to the rest of us outside of Chicago. I saw Lewis speak to a group of teachers in New York City, and it was like watching a rock star; she is that beloved, and she is that good.

Do yourself a favor, Chicago: vote Karen Lewis and the CORE slate this Friday.  Read JJ's entire post here.