Dozens protest outside Obama headquarters, consulates

About 75 protesters marched today from President Barack Obama's re-election headquarters to several consulates of countries that belong to NATO, protesting the alliance's involvement in the war in Afghanistan and other military action. Before the march stepped off around noon, the demonstrators lined up in front of a barricade formed by about a dozen Chicago police officers standing behind their bicycles along a sidewalk at 130 E. Randolph St. Many of the demonstrators belonged to Code Pink, which describes itself as a "women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement." Tithe Barry, from Washington, D.C., held a cardboard model of a drone to protest drone strikes by the United States which he said have killed hundreds of innocent people. "Barack Obama, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president, needs to come clean," Barry shouted. "He's not for peace or for ending these outdated wars."

A dozen of the protesters staged what they called a "die-in" -- laying on the ground and pretending to have been struck by a drone. As they laid on the ground, others drew outlines of their bodies on the sidewalk with pink chalk. About 12:30 p.m., the group marched west on Randolph toward Michigan Avenue. Police followed with their bikes to keep protesters off the street as their numbers grew to about 50. The group turned east on Lake Street to stop at the Canadian consulate at 2 Prudential Plaza to protest the use of Canadian troops in Afghanistan. The group then marched north, headed for the British and German consulates north of the Chicago River on Michigan Avenue. By the time they reached the British consulate at 400 N. Michigan Ave., their numbers had grown to about 75 people. As they walked to the German consulate, 625 N. Michigan Ave., the marchers clogged the sidewalk, chanting "Say no to NATO!" and "When drones fly, children die. Stop the war!" Most of the group disbanded at Rush and Huron streets around 1:30 p.m. after taking a group photo. About two dozen protesters stayed after the protest was over and gathered near 676 North Michigan, where they heard an impromptu speech from Tobias Pflueger, who said he is a former member of the European parliament from Germany. He applauded the protesters for their demonstration. "I am happy you are here demonstrating against the war organization NATO," Pflueger said. "When NATO does wars they kill people and they also kill democracies. We will not allow NATO to kill democracy." Pflueger than translated a speech from Inge Hoger, a member of the German parliament, through a megaphone. "I say no to NATO and no to war all over the world," Hoger shouted in English first. "I am here to support the protests of NATO, especially because NATO starts wars all over the world," Pflueger said, translating for Hoger. "The money that is being spent on this occupation in Afghanistan should be spent on a peaceful solution in Afghanistan, and because NATO is a war organization, Germany should pull out of NATO, and NATO should be disbanded."