- Numerous peace activists sat on the steps of the Accenture Tower’s moving staircases on Monday morning, preventing people from entering and using them
- The demonstrators were Jewish and wore T-shirts that read “Not In Our Name.”
- They also donned face masks and displayed giant signs above the building’s only three escalators. Their signs demanded an end [to] the siege’
Protesters demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have blocked the escalators of a Chicago skyscraper that houses an Israeli consulate on the 31st floor.
Scores of peace activists sat on the steps of the Accenture Tower’s moving staircases on Monday morning, preventing people from climbing the stairs to go to work.
The demonstrators – reportedly numbering in the hundreds – were Jewish and wore black T-shirts that read “Not In Our Name.”
They also donned face masks and advertised giant signs that they hung above the building’s only three escalators on the second floor. Some called for “an end.” [to] the siege of Gaza,” while others urged viewers to “mourn the dead.”
The procession had yet to be released as of 10:45 a.m. ET and comes a month after more than 1,200 people were killed and 239 taken hostage in the terror group’s attacks on several Israeli communities.
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Protesters demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have blocked the escalators of a Chicago skyscraper that houses an Israeli consulate on the 31st floor
Scores of peace activists sat on the steps of the Accenture Tower’s moving staircases on Monday morning, preventing people from climbing the stairs to go to work
Protesters remained at the Chicago office building, whose 31st floor houses an Israeli consulate, late in the morning, having arrived before 10 a.m. when workers arrived
BREAKING NOW: This is a look inside the Accenture Tower downtown, where hundreds of Jewish and Palestinian supporters are calling for a ceasefire. They expect thousands to show up.
The Israeli Consulate is on the 31st floor. Escalators are blocked. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/LWwUtz0f61— Darius Johnson (DJ) (@DariusJohnsonTV) November 13, 2023
At the Chicago office building Tuesday morning, dozens of adults remained standing on the escalators to cordon off the third-floor offices.
“Armistice! Armistice!’ The crowd chanted while most remained in the second floor lobby, creating a sort of gridlock.
Photos and video from the hectic scene show the procession first emerging shortly before 10 a.m., when workers at 500 West Madison were likely still on the move.
At 10:55 a.m. the procession grew. Hundreds sat at the bottom of the escalators armed with signs and shouted “ceasefire now” at the top of their lungs.
In the picture, there were several news crews on the scene but few police officers as the protests remained peaceful as of 11:10 a.m.
Still, the unrest was palpable even in footage taken at the scene, as several carried signs calling the current IDF operations in Gaza a “genocide.”
At 10:55 a.m. the procession grew. Hundreds sat at the bottom of the escalators armed with signs and shouted “ceasefire now” at the top of their lungs.
In the picture, there were several news crews on the scene but few police officers as the protests remained peaceful as of 11:10 a.m
Story is developing, check back for updates…
Escalators in Chicago’s Accenture Tower are blocked by Israeli-Palestinian protesters