A majority of the City Council signed a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson Wednesday condemning a puppet display at the Chicago Cultural Center as antisemitic and calling on the city to take it down.
The free, public exhibit in the city-run building features bloodied caricatures of Uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described on a sign as “protest puppets.” Writing on the wooden bases holding up the figures criticizes U.S. financial support for Israel’s war efforts in Gaza and labels the characters as “children killers” and “murderers.”
The display is “extremely offensive” and “crosses into unprotected hate speech,” according to the letter addressed to Johnson, sent Wednesday and signed by 27 aldermen.
The group’s letter called on Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth to take out the exhibit. It also requested Hedpseth attend a City Council hearing to explain how the display was approved and “outline steps that will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
“As public officials, we respect freedom of speech and artistic expression, but not when it crosses into the obscene and promotes hate,” the letter said. “The Chicago Cultural Center is a public space funded by taxpayer dollars, and displays there should reflect the values of our diverse and vibrant city. Artwork that is this divisive should not use public funds without a clear, transparent vetting process.”
The City Council’s lone Jewish member, Ald. Debra Silverstein, said she spoke with Hedspeth over the weekend about the exhibit. The commissioner agreed to remove the display’s title, “US-Israel War Machine,” added a warning that the exhibition “contains sensitive content” and removed a death count included in the exhibit, the alderwoman said.
The happy one party coalition in Chicago isn't all too happy
I was joined by a majority of the Chicago City Council to send a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson asking for the immediate removal of anti-American and antisemitic artwork currently on display at the Chicago Cultural Center. Displays in public buildings should reflect the values… https://t.co/7FHdugEeII pic.twitter.com/HJhV00XPsJ
— Alderman Debra Silverstein (@50thWardChicago) January 22, 2025
