A group of anti-war protesters on Thursday rallied outside President Obama's campaign headquarters in downtown Chicago Thursday as anti-NATO demonstrations continue to escalate ahead of the global summit, which begins Sunday.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that about 50 protesters -- including representatives from Code Pink Women For Peace, Veterans For Peace and other groups -- demonstrated outside the Prudential Plaza beginning at noon Thursday before marching to the nearby Canadian, British and German consulates.
The group, estimated by CBS Chicago to number 150 participants, was demanding that the war in Afghanistan, as well as drone strikes both there and in Pakistan, come to an end.
(Scroll down to view photos from the rally.)
"We are here today to stand against the death machine that is NATO," Natalie Wahlberg, a protester with Occupy Chicago told the Sun-Times. "So we don’t want NATO here. We are here to stand in solidarity with anyone who tells NATO to get the 'f' out of our city."
Tithe Barry, another protester at the demonstration shouted, "Barack Obama, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president, needs to come clean," according to the Chicago Tribune. "He's not for peace or for ending these outdated wars."
According to Fox Chicago, police blocked the entrance to the Prudential Plaza in order to avoid a repeat of Monday, when eight anti-war protesters were arrested after they rushed inside the building and refused to leave its lobby.
No arrests were reported, as of late Thursday afternoon, from the Thursday demonstration.
The American troops pullout strategy is just one of a number of topics at the top of the agenda for the world leaders gathering in Chicago for the NATO summit. While President Obama is not due to arrive there until Saturday, other world dignitaries began arriving in the city Thursday.
(Scroll down to learn more about NATO summit agenda items.)
Friday, the first major demonstration for which the city has approved a permit will take place when the National Nurses Union launches their rally featuring rocker Tom Morello. Though the city at one point pulled the group's protest permit out of fear concerning the crowds the event will attract, the city and union have since arrived at a deal.
Catch a battle gear-clad federal agent near your go-to Starbucks spot in the Loop? Overhear someone chattering about what "they [said] back in '68?" Send us your NATO-related tips and comments to chicago@huffingtonpost.com, upload a photo below or tweet your news to #natochicago. Follow other NATO summit headlines here.
Check out photos of pre-NATO protests and other pre-summit happenings in Chicago, as well as an outline of agenda items world leaders will be taking up during the meeting:
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