On Saturday, as part of a PowerUp protest led by The People’s Lobby, we joined other volunteers from several community and labor organizations at DXH5, the largest of 4 Amazon delivery facilities within Chicago. We took direct action to show that this mega-corporation, its mega-billionaire founder, and others like them need to pay the debts they owe our communities. The results: 12 arrested at protest outside Amazon warehouse in Bridgeport, organizers say.
We started the day extra early, gathering in a parking lot in Bridgeport under a cool, gray drizzle, with hardly a clue of how we might feel by the end but growing excited as more people arrived to prepare for action. A few blocks away at 35th and Ashland was DXH5, which processes up to 80,000 deliveries a day and serves as a final stop in Amazon’s logistics chain. Next year, Amazon will build another facility in nearby Brighton Park, as part of their unbridled expansion in Illinois. In 2020, the Illinois Answer Project published their report, “Amazon’s Massive Chicago-Area Expansion Fueled by $741 Million From Taxpayers.” They continue to expand while our communities’ needs can’t get funded. This weekend we decided to show that enough was enough.
Energized by supporters’ chants and songs, we joined almost two dozen others to form lines across the facility’s two delivery exits. Inside, dozens of Amazon-branded vans were being loaded. As they realized they could not leave, drivers and other workers began to gather and watch as we chanted “Bezos, Bezos, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side,” and sang “we shall not, we shall not be moved.” Chicago police showed up in small numbers at first, spoke to volunteers from our group and had multiple conversations with a few agitated Amazon reps, who otherwise spent their day pacing or shooing workers back into the building.
The police gave us a first warning, so all not willing to be arrested moved to the sidewalks. Meanwhile, the sun came out and stayed out. One hour stretched into two and three, so we began to put on sunscreen, share water, snacks and (best of all) popsicles, while keeping our energy up by singing “We Will Rock You” and passing the bullhorn around. Not a single delivery van left the facility this whole time, while dozens of Amazon workers watched, waited, and occasionally came over to chat and offer support. Eventually, more police arrived and a commander announced his second and then final warning. After more than 4 hours, police began arrests at just one of the exits. Some of our comrades walked when put under arrest but others held to the conviction to passively resist and were carried away. With one exit cleared, their vans quickly started to move, even if half of their regular day was lost.
At the other exit, we were hot, achy, and starting to get sunburnt, but we had seen our message get through. It was clear to Amazon, its managers and workers, and its neighbors nearby, that mega-corporations need to pay their debts to our communities. At the second exit, as we discussed what to do, a stream of long-delayed Amazon vans passed by and several drivers beeped their horns, in support we believe. We decided not to wait for a second round of arrests and committed ourselves to take more actions on corporations, their billionaire owners, and if necessary our own elected officials who have the power to make them pay them what they owe.
We ended our action and shifted to jail support for our comrades who were arrested at the first exit. That brave dozen started to be released after a couple of hours, and received misdemeanor trespassing charges. We will support them to get these dismissed, and take their courage as inspiration for actions to come.
Over the next two weeks, the Illinois state legislature and the Governor will negotiate a budget that could include 4 important bills to tax the largest corporations and wealthiest individuals, and generate $4 billion in new revenue for essential community needs. We expect Amazon and other tech corporations to fight these bills, so we will keep taking action and remind our reps that they need to stand with us.
It was a long and surprisingly hot but beautiful day to demonstrate what working people can do to make mega-corporations pay what they owe.
What to do next to keep up the pressure:
Email us at info@grassrootscollaborative.org to learn more about taking direct action on mega-corporations.
