Three Occupy activists raided on May 16 and disappeared for a period of time by Chicago police were brought before a bond judge this afternoon and officially charged with material support for terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism, and possession of explosives or explosive or incendiary devices. The State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez asked for bail to be set at $5 million for the three men who had come from out-of-state to protest the NATO summit. The judge set the bail at $1.5 million. Each of the charges are felony charges.

The case marks the first time that state prosecutors have used the Illinois Terrorism law to prosecute individuals.

It’s very strange to have my home town host NATO and NONATO this weekend. Strange partly since my health limits my ability to be in the streets as part of NONATO and I so miss it. But also odd to have our usual daily routines interrupted by the hyper security state that Rahm and his friends decided we need to protect us from all that dangerous free speech that might take place this week.

The three activists that remained in jail have now been charged with “possession of incendiary or explosive device, conspiracy to commit terrorism & providing material support for terrorism,” according to the National Lawyers Guild attorney Sarah Gelsomino who is representing the activists arrested and disappeared in a night raid on Wednesday in Bridgeport, Chicago. (h/t @OccupyChicago)

Chicago police superintendent Garry McCarthy and the rest of the Chicago police department continue to refuse to publicly speak about a preemptive night raid against activists on May 17. The raid took place at an apartment where activists were staying in Bridgeport on the south side of Chicago. It happened just days before the scheduled NATO summit that begins on Sunday.

Five activists raided and arrested in an apartment in Bridgeport on the south side of Chicago continue to be held without charge. They were arrested during the night around 1 am on May 17, along with four other activists who have since been released, they were also held without charge.

Many protesters have already traveled here. Hundreds are on buses headed to Chicago. Journalists and photographers are flying here to cover the summit. Security fencing made up of heavy metal has gone up around McCormick Place convention center where the summit will be held. The Field Museum will be closed. Wireless carriers have boosted their capacity for the summit. Chicago police will be on edge because they have to work long hours and, like Rahm Emanuel, they pretty much loathe activists. Here’s a roundup of recent events and stories.

Worldwide heads of the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), military generals, heads of state from the alliance’s twenty-eight member countries will be coming to Chicago for a summit on May 20-21. The city will be put on lockdown all so the military arm of the G8—a group that can dial up a “humanitarian intervention” or war when it wants it—can further expand their military agenda and plot the next steps of perpetual war for Afghanistan and the wider Asian continent at the McCormick Place convention center.

I am in Chicago and will be covering developments during and in the buildup to the summit.

Ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Chicago, hundreds gathered for a People’s Summit hosted by Occupy Chicago. Various speakers discussed how NATO perpetuates policies of war abroad. A number of speakers also described the war at home that includes austerity measures and a culture of fear that violates the civil liberties or rights of certain groups of people, like Muslims.

Worldwide heads of the National Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), military generals, heads of state from the alliance’s twenty-eight member countries will be coming to Chicago for a summit on May 20-21. The city will be put on lockdown all so the military arm of the G8—a group that can dial up a “humanitarian intervention” or [...]

Member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will be sending heads of state and leaders in their governments to Chicago in about a week. They will be coming to Chicago for a NATO summit on May 20-21. It will be the first NATO summit to be hosted in an American city other than Washington, DC, and those in attendance are expected to discuss Afghanistan along with missile defense plans.