Tuesday, October 15, Chicago: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was shouted down tonight during his speech to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations by four teams of stealth protesters who infiltrated the high-rent shindig with banners and chants of ‘No blood for oil!’ and ‘No war on Iraq!’ The 500 horrified Straw fans in attendance could only sputter in outrage.

U.S. Secret Service and foreign service security tackled at least one man with a banner during the disruption of Straw’s speech, which was fraught with the usual homilies about the U.S. war of terror. Security staff reportedly dragged one protester across the laps and legs of three elderly attendees, and another man threatened to impale a protester with his cane.

Straw at one point reportedly offered to take questions on the spot from protesters, one of whom promptly asked, “Why do you feel compelled to murder thousands more Iraqi civilians in a war for oil?” Unfortunately, the protester was dragged from the lecture hall before Straw could be pressed further for an answer.

Protesters were, however, able to dodge arrest and walk out of the Inter-Continental Hotel largely unmolested – at least after their initial ejections -- because a boisterous contingent of supporters outside kept Chicago cops so busy they blew the security staff’s call to make the collars.

One protester asked local cops if they felt like nitwits for being baited into ‘supervising’ the outside protest instead of nabbing the disrupters inside. The cops scowled. One officer also reportedly irked his colleagues when he burst out laughing as protesters chanted “Are you on crack? Don’t attack Iraq!”

The Tuesday civil disobedience and protest was convened by the Chicago Coalition Against War & Racism, and drew support from local groups that included Neighbors For Peace and the Autonomous Zone.

Photos courtesy of 'Straw Jack'