Join us live on Substack at 2 pm ET for a chat with former big law attorney and current "anti-authoritarian activist" Rachel Cohen @cohen489.bsky.social open.substack.com/live-stream/...

I got to speak at length with The Progressive about messaging, activism and Broadview, and they organized my thoughts so beautifully it’s one of my New Favorite Pieces. Check it out:

"My takeaway is always that this is a citywide, nationwide, twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week need for protests. This is a nearly infinitely wide highway, and we need every single lane to be occupied." Our Interview with Rachel Cohen [email protected] progressive.org/magazine/lan...

@americandemands.bsky.social is delivering a platform for change backed by @aftynbehn.bsky.social’s historic campaign and @melatkirosco.bsky.social

pivoting center is bullshit open.substack.com/pub/cohen489...

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Strong floor, no ceiling” Colombian President Gustavo Petro: “A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy.”

NEWS: During a hearing in federal court in VA, prosecutors confirmed that the operative indictment in the case against James Comey was never shown to or voted on by the entire grand jury before it was presented in open court. Defense counsel argued that’s a complete bar to further prosecution

I wanted to share probably the most important sermon I’ve given and it’s while I’m being arrested. It’s torture pure and simple what happens at #Broadview. I’m ok, though I was thrown to the ground and choked with my pectoral cross. A review of the video shows I was peaceful - did I deserve this?

great question. i think it’s worth reiterating that beach street, where this protest occurred and the “free speech” zone is, has been closed to most vehicle traffic for weeks. yet isp/ccso/broadview pd have prohibited anyone from being in the street—by force/arrest if necessary.

Devastating piece on the human toll of Kavanaugh Stops. Especially infuriating to know that rich white guys like Brett K can simply close their eyes to the human suffering their racist jurisprudence has unleashed.

SCOTUS was never going to come for queer rights via a cert petition asking for an Obergefell repeal—they were always going to come for the LGBTQ community by targeting trans people. and they literally are doing that, this session. protect trans people. open.substack.com/pub/cohen489...

5/ Local Chicago media is doing an outstanding job covering the Trump federal overreach here. Read and follow and do what you can to support them with donations. Here's a list of many of the news outlets and journalists on the story: bsky.app/profile/did:...

“.. in a group Signal chat, .. he wrote in part: ‘I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book boys.’” @reuters.com #Chicago www.reuters.com/world/us/bor...

Just a complete disappointment.

“So many people worked creatively and constantly to make Mayor Mamdani possible. That kind of movement is the only way to beat back fascism. Not exaggerating, it is actually the only way.” — @cohen489.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/cohen489...

From an Evanston resident filming an arrest at Oakton/Asbury ~an hour ago: "He was being very violent with her, I said ‘You got to stop that,’ and he said, ‘Step back or I’ll fucking shoot you.‘ I step back, and then I continue to record, at which point he turned around and pointed a gun at me.”

I understand there are so many things to focus on right now but THE fight and focus has to be the government disappearing people without process into black sites and work camps based on their race. I’m going insane

class action over conditions in the Broadview processing facility illegally used as a detention facility in Chicagoland and the factual allegations have me physically ill. full complaint linked in this Block Club story: blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/31/l...

🚨NEW: The FCC has voted to raise calling rates for incarcerated people – a move that bends to the will of telecomm companies, jails and prisons, while saddling poor families with higher costs. Now, prices could hike as much as 83% 🧵

you may have seen that WaPo analysis showing how big law firms are refusing to take impact litigation (insert Cersei SHAME meme)—but we need to talk about impacts on direct representation of pro bono clients, too. open.substack.com/pub/cohen489...

when ur crush texts u 🥺

We now have legal fees on top of our campaign expenses. You can help us stand up to the Trump administration by chipping in here: katforillinois.com/legal

I have been charged in a federal indictment sought by the Department of Justice. This political prosecution is an attack on all of our First Amendment rights. I’m not backing down, and we’re going to win.

U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino is on the witness stand in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis. He is wearing his typical Border Patrol uniform. "Good morning, your honor," he says.

A bunch of newly activated people in Chicago need to read this. A troubling number of people believe the police "are on our side" because they have largely followed the law and orders they've been given about not helping ICE. The police will never be "on our side." Sometimes, they're just reined in.

As ICE continues to terrorize our communities, kidnapping our neighbors, 9 cyclists came together this morning at 6am to buyout 5 vendors and donate the food to a local shelter. They went home safe, hungry ppl were fed, this is #BikeChi ✊🏽

different sides of the same system chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

“I was very on board with the disappearances of Latine people without due process but now that I see the people protesting the Gestapo are polite I have changed my mind”

Holy crap, yes @cohen489.bsky.social!!

A Tale of Two Cities By @cohen489.bsky.social 🔗 substack.com/@legalaf/not...

the Ninth Circuit stay in Portland v Trump gives us LOTS of insight into how cooked we are. I’m focused on the clarity with which it shows it doesn’t matter how you protest, Trump is gonna Trump open.substack.com/pub/cohen489...

I am on a girls trip and a group of us who all went to Harvard for grad school had to get to Leonardo da Vinci with “who is the movie star who breaks up with his girlfriends when they turn 25…. artist with that name”

covering my ass as a moderately public-facing frequent shit talker who also happens to be friends with @annabower.bsky.social

we filmed this before Trump was also attacking Colombians…

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp... @mackdistrict6.bsky.social @cohen489.bsky.social @legalafmtn.bsky.social

Thanks @legalafmtn.bsky.social, @cohen489.bsky.social and @mackdistrict6.bsky.social for the awesome platform video. I appreciate what @americandemands.bsky.social is putting forward. We need to get back to candidates with actionable campaigns. https://youtu.be/WGpbQICYCd0?si=PzxjiBBBvTxFj3Sl

Thanks for watching! You can check out Tiara and my conversation w/ Pope about @americandemands.bsky.social below:

Judge hauling ICE official into court as aggressive tactics continue despite her order: 'I'm not blind' NEW from @chicago.suntimes.com: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

grateful for this excellent coverage of Chicago protest/ICE brutality in The New Yorker today (and I’m not just saying that because they gave me the closing quote, though it doesn’t hurt) www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

seeing Lorde this week and then heading to a 30th birthday trip as the Horrors persist. Substack about the weirdness of day to day life right now: open.substack.com/pub/cohen489...

At the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, a Facebook group used by nearly 80,000 people to report sightings of federal immigration agents in the Chicago area has been taken down by the social media giant Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

Chicago's On a Winning Streak by @cohen489.bsky.social 🔗 substack.com/@legalaf/not...

open.substack.com/pub/michaelp... @legalafmtn.bsky.social @cohen489.bsky.social

Needless to say, fuck no this is not the way to do content moderation

Claim: 10 cars rammed ICE Truth: No cars rammed ICE Claim: She boxed ICE in Truth: ICE boxed her in Claim: She shot a rifle at ICE Truth: She did not have a rifle Claim: ICE returned fire Truth: Only ICE fired Claim: She drove herself to the hospital Truth: Paramedics found her

Def. atty continues his argument, says "violent terrorist organizations" are trying to doxx agents. This prompts open laughter in the courtroom. "Well, I think we have a different idea of what's going on in Chicago," Ellis tells the def. atty, who is appearing remotely.

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Live coverage of the Illinois v. Trump hearing over deployment of federalized national guardsmen to Chicago ⬇️⬇️

Well, yeah, we're suing ICE. This wasn't really a hard decision. As little faith as we have in institutions, we recognize the value of drawing visible lines in the sand. We drew ours personally a while ago, but better late than never. May every protester be freed and may this occupation end.