October 25th, 2009 
The American Bankers Association’s annual convention in Chicago has become the scene for a series of major protests, which are set to continue through Tuesday. Dubbed “the Showdown in Chicago.” (Check back here frequently for updates on the protests.)
Groups like the National People’s Action, the Service Employees International Union, Americans For Financial Reform and the AFL-CIO are expected to turn out with thousands of protesters. Sen. Richard Durbin (D – Illinois) is scheduled to address the protesters Sunday evening. Conference speakers include Newt Gingrich, conservative columnist George Will and FDIC chairman Sheila Bair.
(For more information on the protests, read Huffington Post blogs by economist Dean Baker, the AFL-CIO’s Rich Trumka and the SEIU’s Anna Burger.)
The ABA’s convention is already underway, and some early images of the protests are trickling in. From the SEIU’s blog, here’s an early report from the scene:

“The Wall Street bankers are in Chicago this weekend for the American Bankers Association conference – and they’ve decided to do one good deed for the people of Chicago while they’re here. They are helping to renovate a house that had been foreclosed… by them.It’s a nice gesture on the bankers’ part, but a completely empty one. In the time it took them to help fix up that one house, banks were kicking 1,440 families out of homes across the country; that’s one foreclosed home every 7.5 seconds.”
Also, from the SEIU’s blog, here’s a picture of a banner that greeted conference attendees during their riverboat cruise through Chicago earlier today:
Got any tips, images or direct reports from the scene of the protests? Help us tell the story of the ABA protests by uploading your images and by telling us what’s happening at the scene. Participate below!



