Politics & Government

Protestors Say They'll Be Back Soon at Rep. Kirk's Northbrook Office

Advocacy groups, unemployed workers who gathered Sept. 8 said the event would not be the last time they protest at Kirk's office, 707 Skokie Blvd.

Picketers who gathered Sept. 8 at Rep. Mark Kirk's Northbrook office say they'll be back again soon with signs and bullhorns.

"We'll definitely be back at Mark Kirk's office," said protest organizer Siobhan Kolar of Chicago Jobs With Justice (CJWJ).

A group of unemployed workers and protesters from advocacy groups—CJWJ, Moveon.org and Citizen Action Illinois—stood outside Kirk's office with signs that read, "Honk If You Don't Have Your Own Lobbyist" and "I Lost My Job, What's Mark Kirk Going To Do About It?"

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Kirk is seeking the U.S. Senate seat formerly occupied by President Barack Obama. The Republican congressman currently represents the 10th District of Illinois and has offices at 707 Skokie Blvd. in Northbrook.

"The goal of the event was to ask Rep. Kirk which side is he on: the side of Wall Street and his corporate owners or the side of working families in Lake County," said Kolar.

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Kolar added that Kirk has received significant donations from the financial services industry.

According to the nonpartisan research group Center for Responsive Politics, Kirk has received $1.9 million in political donations from companies in finance, insurance and real estate. That figure makes him No. 4 on the list of candidates receiving donations from that sector, behind Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both (D-NY), as well as Rob Portman, a former Republican congressman seeking a Senate seat from Ohio.

"America faces some tough decisions in the coming year, and we need a leader that will do what is best for Illinoisians, not donors or corporate lobbyists," said John Gaudette of Citizen Action Illinois.

Unemployed worker Andy Gebel asked for a meeting with Kirk, who was not in the office, Kolar said. But Aaron Winters, Kirk's district director, said he would take Gebel's information and get back to him.

Press secretary Susan Kuczka said the congressman's office did not issue any statement to the protesters but confirmed that some in the group had met with Winters. She said that Kirk was often away from the Northbrook office because he was on the campaign trail.

The Sept. 8 protest was the second time that picketers have gathered outside the office. Members of the CJWJ, Illinois AFL-CIO and Citizen Action Illinois rallied on July 15 to protest Kirk's vote against an extension of federal unemployment benefits.

According to Kolar, the groups will hold a protest titled "Mark Kirk is Bad for the Economy" on Sept. 15 at GOP's Chicago headquarters. The next Northbrook protest would probably be in October, she added.


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