Walkaway, Chicago-style
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD FOR MY 2017 NOVEL WALKAWAY
At Walkaway’s climax, prisoners who’ve taken over their prison face off against an army of militarized police who lay siege to the occupied prison complex.
Just as the prisoners’ defenses are about to fail, their network of supporters watching from a livestream all over the world leap into the fray, doxing the cops on the line and waking their relatives and talking them into broadcasting pleas on the prison’s PA system.
As the cops hear their loved ones’ pleas, their morale breaks. One at a time, then in bunches, they set down their weapons, shuck body armor, and walk away down the highway. As they trickle away, their commanders are enraged, then terrified, sensing the turn. They retreat.
Yesterday, visual journalist Tyler LaRiviere posted a stunning series of images and clips from a protest in Chicago where protesters faced a standoff with the CPD at a barricade near Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home.
https://twitter.com/TylerLaRiviere/status/1275615330442842112
LaRiviere: “The person on the megaphone is searching up officers information on a web database and announcing how many complaints they have.”
https://twitter.com/TylerLaRiviere/status/1275615330442842112
“To clarify these aren’t random officers they are getting information on but the officers blocking off the intersection on Kimball and Wrightwood. Two of the officers who had their infomation publicized left the line and walked away.”
https://twitter.com/TylerLaRiviere/status/1275616072809488389
The protest ends peacefully as the cops - numbers depleted - wait out the protest’s natural wind-down.
I’ve been sent this dozens of times since Tuesday. I am elated every time.
(Image: thumbnail of a frame from Tyler LaRiviere’s video)