BP 'Flash Mob' Protest Gets Sidelined By Blackhawks Parade

UPDATE: Chicagoist reports that the protest continued despite the BP bridge being blocked. Still no word on why it was closed, though.

A group of protesters planned to gather on a downtown bridge Friday afternoon, wearing all black and holding signs condemning BP for the oil spill in he gulf. Unfortunately, security put in place to control crowds for the Blackhawks victory parade put a damper on their plans.

NBC Chicago reports that a "flash mob" planned to meet on the BP Pedestrian Bridge in Millennium Park at noon, when the Blackhawks parade and rally was going down.

Protesters were asked to bring black umbrellas or wear all black to mourn the BP oil spill as it reaches its 50th day. But just after Noon Friday, some participants found themselves surrounded by Blackhawks fans and with no access to the bridge:

@pantagrapher

@shellster129

@tankboy

@meganstielstra

No word yet on why the city closed the BP bridge.

Comments

[Cat Jarboe]

06:55 PM on 06/16/2010

Despite it all, everyone adapted beautifully and even a few 'Hawks fans got some schoolin' on social justice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h25Xmhm0hk
"The impromptu protesters gathered at the entrance of the then closed BP Bridge in Millennium Park along with around 2 million Blackhawks fans celebrating their Stanley Cup win.
It was a quiet and simple message. Hold BP accountable. And take away their kid's bikes."

[SouthSideHooligan]

10:51 PM on 06/13/2010

Cubs AND Sox fans altogether booed the BP sponsoring of the Crosstown Classic.

Note to BP: when you can get Cubs and Sox fans together, on the same side, through mutual disgust and hatred of you... you know you're pure evil.

[Lucifuge]

02:30 PM on 06/14/2010

BP: Bringing people together, one spill at a time.

[temp2290]

03:13 PM on 06/14/2010

then they scurry off to their cars and drive to their outer suburb, not realizing the irony

[SouthSideHooligan]

10:29 PM on 06/14/2010

Oh, yaaawwwwnnnn. Get over yourself, wannabe hipster, trendy, pop-culture revolutionary professional protester.

[alley boy]

08:22 PM on 06/12/2010

Hey folks,if you want to protest BP, wait until they move into their new offices at 20 South Wacker, then you'll get their attention.

[nickfromla]

05:20 PM on 06/12/2010

This is a mess: http://www.frequency.com/video/bp-security/107379

[DawnK]

12:16 PM on 06/12/2010

The protestors should have known that it would be impossible. Downtown was for celebrating that day. I hope they showed up though at the Crosstown Classic that was sponsored by BP.

[gregcurts]

09:51 AM on 06/12/2010

Bad timing.

[Mahi Joe]

08:39 AM on 06/12/2010

I wonder who tipped off the city to close the bridge to these protesters. I got the email for this flash mob event a few days before it happened and in the email they were very specific about not creating anything disruptive of illegal. Really a bad day because of everything else happening in the same proximity.

[FairProgressive]

11:58 PM on 06/11/2010

Exclusive: Despite Oil Spill, Gulf Seafood Safe and Plentiful

Everybody is testing marine life, but it's difficult to pin down who's testing what and what they found. The results are especially elusive, but crucial when it comes to the analysis of the seafood that's going to market.

"We know it's safe," the marketing board's Smith said. "We've got them all pulling samples. NOAA, the Food and Drug Administration, experts at Louisiana State University and guys at the state agencies."

NOAA is completing its two-phase analysis -- sensory and chemical -- of 640 sample of fish and shrimp collected in deep water on June 2, agency spokesman Scott Smullen said

[berrycooda]

11:29 PM on 06/11/2010

Wonder if the protest was another one by Jesse Jackson...
He has been at the one in Indiana a couple of times....

Too bad the cameras were on the Blackhawks...
Must have been a wasted protest...
Why protest now...like closing the barn door after the
horse got out.
Didn't worry about B.P before....
It is a massive tragic mess...but protests won't do any good.
Get on a bus and go down to the Gulf and help with the
clean up if you want to do something...make yourself useful.

[berrycooda]

11:24 PM on 06/11/2010

Watched it and it was a great celebration for the Blackhawks.
According to the news...said 2 million people were at the parade.

All you could see were red shirts...and no rowdy fans or looting or any nonsense that sometimes happens at these events.

[Jordy Flash]

08:29 PM on 06/11/2010

Yeyyyyyy protesting is cool!!!!

[Lakeview Greg]

06:13 PM on 06/11/2010

Now THAT'S Chicago! Where else could a rowdy celebration and a very serious protest not only co-exist but cheer each other on? And for those who might not know, the crowd loudly booed the BP cup at Wrigley today.

[Ravi Abunijad]

02:45 AM on 06/12/2010

Awesome.

[DawnK]

12:16 PM on 06/12/2010

I heard about that. That makes me happy.

[pearlmiller]

04:13 PM on 06/11/2010

The picture on HP's link into this article is not from the protest. There were no signs or shouting or chanting. Also, for those commenters who wondered why today, it's because today is the 50th day of the spill and there were vigils across the country.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/tag/bp+vigil/
The crowds liked seeing us down there. Tourists took pictures because it's exciting to see people who care - about teams AND the ocean

[Mahi Joe]

08:41 AM on 06/12/2010

Good job.

[Susan Eleuterio]

04:05 PM on 06/11/2010

Protest was not sidelined- we still held it- photos to come

[Mahi Joe]

08:42 AM on 06/12/2010

Anyone take any overhead shots?

[anniekate76]

03:36 PM on 06/11/2010

Photos and writeup:

http://chicagoist.com/2010/06/11/bp_protest_continues_despite_roadbl.php?gallery0Pic=1#gallery

[Trublulu]

09:49 PM on 06/11/2010

The police were out to stop everyone from going to Millenium Park; that is where the Blackhawks victory celebration was held! Don't know why the policeman said he didn't know why he had to turn the protestors away. Anyone with half a brain knew it was because 2 million raucous Blackhawk fans were out to celebrate the Stanley Cup victory! No hockey fans in the protest group? I really, really dislike BP, I belong to Earthjustic and Defenders of Wildlife, but I also love those Blackhawks and found the parade a welcome respite from all the sad news coming from the gulf.