FTP-Chicago

On Sunday May 23rd, two cronies of capitalist Alan Coyle were booted from a Hands Off Albany Park organizing meeting by FTP and Albany Park – Organizing Committee (AP-OC) members. The meetings are open to all those who unite with the campaign to fight for the struggling masses of Albany Park and to identify the class enemies of the people. They are not a place to debate or negotiate with gentrifiers, but a place to unify the masses to struggle against them.

As members were setting up for the meeting to begin, two individuals, identified as Bernadette Markley and Michael McGauly, came into the office. They were asked introductory questions about how they heard about the meeting, to which they lied to organizers, immediately raising red flags. The two were escorted out by organizers and were told they were not welcome into the space since they lied to members and no one could vouch for them. The two became immediately hostile, saying things like “Are we too white for this meeting?” and “No one needs to vouch for me!”. Bernadette took the time to state that gentrification would get rid of the “gangbangers” in Albany Park. After a short while of back and forth, the two left. Organizers carried on and locked the door before the meeting began. Moments later, Michael McGauly tried to open the door to the office. After he realized he couldn’t get in, he got out his phone to try and record people inside the office. After an organizer banged on the window, Michael started running! The meeting and distribution continued without interruption.

Michael and Bernadette both reside in the wealthy, predominantly white adjacent neighborhoods of Ravenswood Manor and Irving Park East, and both are connected to Alan Coyle personally. We write this report back to document the escalation of tactics by the enemy. As we continue to struggle against the enemies of the people, we anticipate an escalation on their end.

Whether Bernadette and Michael were sent by Mr. Coyle to investigate our meeting or went on their own accord, we are reminded of the important teaching of Mao Zedong: “It is good if we are attacked by the enemy, since it proves that we have drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves. It is still better if the enemy attacks us wildly and paints us as utterly black and without a single virtue; it demonstrates that we have not only drawn a clear line of demarcation between the enemy and ourselves but achieved a great deal in our work.” All Power to the People!