Photo Gallery: Trashing city's streets while exercising democracy

Winter 2017

Photo Gallery: Trashing city’s streets while exercising democracy

January 31, 2017

By Alaina Boukedes

Chicago joined more than 600 cities worldwide in anti-Trump protests. The Women’s March on Chicago drew more than 250,000 protesters, the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The city’s sanitation workers were left with cleaning up the trash left behind from the sister march.

Sanitation trucks created a barricade to stop cars from entering Michigan Avenue on Jan 21. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Fear — A discarded sticker on the ground reflects the people’s dissatisfaction toward Trump. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Overflow — Behind an overflowing trash can, protesters signs covered topics from women’s rights to the environment. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Clean — Trump has recently signed executive orders halting federal grants to the EPA. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Newspaper — Debris such as a newspaper bearing Trump’s name in the headline litter the street during the march. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Cups — Organizers of the march had to officially cancel the event because of the size of the crowd, but people still marched through the city. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Truck — Sanitation trucks wait for the march to end so that street cleaning can begin. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Trashcan — Trash cans across the Loop were filled to the brim even as the march died down. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Protestors — According to the Chicago Police, over 250,000 protesters gathered for The Women’s March. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)

Photo at top: Trucks from the Chicago Streets & Sanitation Department were abundant at the rally. (Alaina Boukedes/MEDILL)