Statue Attacked, J31 Day Of Action 2012

In Chicago, two events for the July 31st Day of Action took place; The first was a benefit film screening of the movie "antifa: Chausseurs de skins" for the Tinley Park 5, held by four star anarchist organization (4SAO) and tabled by us at south side ARA. The second was an attack against the Balbo Monument located near soldier field by Kalamazoo antifa. We also released an intelligence report on neo-nazi twins and tattoo artists Fred and Will Leinberger.

THE BENEFIT 

The benefit was held by 4 star anarchist organization. The film shown was Antifa: Chausseurs de skins, A French documentary on how groups of youth in Paris generated a backlash against the Neo Nazi skinhead subculture. For every person who came through the door 4SAO donated five dollars toward the Tinley Park 5. The event was well attended and therefore raised a good amount of money for those arrested. We were able to pass out literature, answer questions and have some good conversations about antifascism.

THE ATTACK AGAINST THE BALBO MONUMENT

The Balbo monument was donated by Mussolini from Ostia to Chicago in 1933. It's named after Italo Balbo, "a fascist leader in Italy immediately following WWI and one of the main participants in the March of Rome which brought Mussolini to power in 1922." The monument was spray painted and wheat pasted the night of July 30th by anonymous antifascists.

Here is a small portion of the text taken from indymedia and pastebin:

On the night of July 30,  Kalamazoo antifa attacked the Balbo Monument near Soldier Field and Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois.

Full text here

The statue, like many other fascist targets attacked in the past, was tucked away, almost hidden. The exact address or cross-street is hard to find, but we discovered it somewhere southeast of the police memorial, across Museum Campus from Soldier Field, and stuck up against the bike path. It's not far from a street of the same name, both in honor of an Italian fascist named Italo Balbo.

We spray painted the three arrows underneath the word "ANTIFA"  on the face of the statue and wheatpasted the following communique in solidarity with Greek antifascists.

It goes without saying we also stand in solidarity with the Tinley Park 5, Jock Palfreeman, Dane Rossman, Anti-Racist Action, and all antifascists facing repression, but this one's for Greece.

Flier communique for the attack: http://i47.tinypic.com/i1wsk4.jpg

For the July 31st Day of Action Against Fascism and Racism we chose to partake in an action against the Balbo statue in Grant Park. We humbly dedicate this action to antifascists in Greece, who have maintained an active resistance to fascism since before the early 1940's.

Italo Balbo was a fascist leader in Italy immediately following WWI and was one of the main participants in the March of Rome which brought Mussolini to power in 1922.