Veterans march against Trump administration

After 30 years with the Department of Defense, retiree David Steckel didn’t think he would be spending his Veterans Day protesting the U.S. government.
“This is a Veterans Day like no other that I’ve participated in,” Steckel said. “This is not how I expected to spend my retirement, but right now, I see no other better way to spend my time.”
On a day typically spent honoring the efforts of those who fought to protect their country, Steckel and hundreds more gathered Tuesday afternoon at a “Vets Say No” rally to not only march in honor of veterans but also against President Donald Trump’s administration. In particular, the veterans said they were opposed to the ongoing federal immigration raids and issues surrounding the federal government shutdown.
The veterans’ march from the Chicago Riverwalk to Federal Plaza was organized by the groups About Face Veterans Against the War and May Day Strong.
As the group headed south, chants of “No ICE, no cuts, no fascism,” echoed throughout the Loop. People in restaurants gazed out onto the streets and gym-goers paused their workouts to cheer for those marching.
Steckel, 68, took a train from downstate Homer, a town about 30 minutes east of Champaign, to be a part of the march.
He said he was in the Army and that it was important for him to go to the rally and support his fellow veterans.
Politicians who addressed the crowd, including U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez of Chicago, criticized the actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security over the last two months, amid Trump’s immigration crackdown, Operation Midway Blitz.
“I’m proud to stand with a community who understands how interconnected our struggles are,” said Ramirez, a Democrat. “Republicans moved a Trump budget that would lead to starvation, to displacement and to deaths at home for so many Americans while infusing $150 billion in the Department of Terror called the Department of Homeland Security.”
Shortly before the march in Little Village, Gov. JB Pritzker spoke at the American Legion Veterans Day ceremony. During his speech, Pritzker discussed the importance of honoring veterans before gradually drifting in his remarks to the current conditions in neighborhoods such as Little Village, which have seen aggressive federal immigration enforcement activity.
“You all served to defend the ideals that our country was founded upon: freedom and equality for every American, regardless of where they come from or what they look like or even what their parents’ native language may have been,” Pritzker said. “Unfortunately, our American values, the very values that compelled you to enlist, are today under attack here at home. Masked federal agents are currently terrorizing our neighbors and tear-gassing innocent civilians, including children.”
Ed White, 82, attended the rally in support of veterans. As Trump has more than three more years left in office, White said the rally is only the first of many actions to come and that veterans need to stand in solidarity.
Next week, the Vietnam War veteran said he plans to protest in Oak Park.
White said voters thought something would be done to fix the “broken system of Republicans and Democrats.” He said he blames the people who voted for Trump for what’s happening.
As a deal is underway to reopen the government after the longest federal government shutdown in history, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs experienced cuts, leaving some veterans without pay or furloughed.
White said he’s uncertain whether he will be affected by the cuts. During Trump’s first term, he said his disability benefits were cut off, but they were later restored by former President Joe Biden.
Bob Harriett, a 62-year-old National Guard veteran, said he attended the march to raise awareness about the future of the country. He has grandchildren whose futures will be determined by leaders in office, he said.
“If we don’t do the right things now, they’re not gonna have any future,” he said. “I don’t want them to grow up like they did when they were in 1933 Germany.”
While he said he’d rather spend the day honoring his brothers and sisters in arms, what he was doing by marching is essential for change, he said.
Before heading to Federal Plaza, organizers handed out white flowers to be laid in respect of the lost veterans. When they arrived, everyone laid down the flowers in a solemn moment of silence.
The Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner contributed.