POINT OF NO RETURNS
Chicago protesters demand president release his taxes
On Chicago’s warmest Saturday so far this year, a few thousand protesters descended on Daley Plaza, hoping to keep the heat on President Donald Trump by demanding that he release his tax returns while dancing to the Beatles “Taxman” and “The Chicken Dance” before an inflatable white chicken with a golden comb.
Nancy Rose of Rogers Park said they weren’t much interested in any kind of protesting — until Trump was elected.
“I’ve been to a few of these now, but I had to ask someone what you were supposed to do the first time,” said Rose as she carried a sign with a marshmallow chick on it asking for a “peep” at Trump’s taxes. “The higher- income people have so many advantages to getting out of taxes. That’s not fair.”
Deborah Orr, who came from University Park to attend the rally, said wanted to Trump to keep his promise to release his taxes after the election.
“I know it was a lie, he does it all the time,” Orr said. “I think it’s fair to want to know what his conflicts of interest are. He can see my taxes, I’d like to see his.”
Saturday is April 15, the traditional filing day for federal taxes. However, this year, due to April 15 falling on a Saturday, and Washington D. C.’ s Emancipation Day holiday being observed on Monday, the IRS has extended the deadline to Tuesday, April 18.
As a candidate and as president, Trump has refused to release his tax returns, breaking a decades- long tradition. Although he initially promised to do so, he later claimed he was under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and said his attorneys had advised against it — though experts and IRS officials said such audits don’t bar taxpayers from releasing their returns.
South Side resident Lorie Washington said Trump signed up for the job and knew releas- ing his taxes was part of that.
“When you’re the leader of the free world, you’re held to a higher standard,” Washington said. “And you should be, because our taxes are paying your salary.”
Speakers at the plaza included Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and state Sen. Daniel Biss, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for governor in 2018.
The crowd booed when Biss mentioned Gov. Bruce Rauner, another billionaire that Biss said was gaming the tax system.
Jackson’s wide- ranging speech rallied the crowd with call- and- respond chants that touched on immigration, the threat of nuclear war with North Korea and the viral video that showed a man being dragged off a United Express flight at O’Hare Airport.
“Whether you are United Airlines or Donald Trump, the 1 percent should not have privilege at the expense of the rest of America,” Jackson said. “All of us must work and pay our fair share of taxes.”
Shortly after noon, the crowd took to Dearborn Street, marching north to the Chicago River, where a second inflated chicken was set up on the south bank, across from Trump International Hotel and Tower.
The rally and march were among many held Saturday across the country; in all, 180 protests were planned in 48 states. Though the Chicago march was peaceful, things were different in California, where at least four people had been arrested by early Saturday afternoon after violence broke out between groups of supporters and detractors of President Trump holding competing rallies in downtown Berkeley.
Contributing: Associated Press