NATO Protesters Arrested After Storming Obama Campaign Headquarters in Chicago

Kicking off what they have termed "a week without capitalism" ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit, dozens of protesters slipped past security guards this morning in Chicago and rushed Obama's campaign headquarters.

(Related: Bill Ayers Calls on Students to 'Act' and Join Him in 'Driving Out NATO' From Chicago)

It wasn't long before eight members of the group were caught and escorted away in handcuffs, as the crowd cheered them on and sang, according to reports, folk and gospel songs.

Chicago's WGNTV explains:

Guards locked the revolving doors, but protesters slipped through unlocked doors off to the sides. Some pushed past a security guard who tried to block their entry but quickly gave up as protesters poured through the doorway.

About a dozen uniformed Chicago police officers entered the lobby and stood quietly at the back of the protest group as a demonstrator on the second floor read a statement, echoed by the few dozen demonstrators in the lobby below.

Workers on their way to the escalators filed quietly through the lobby, most hardly taking notice of the demonstration.

Here is video of the event, via MSNBC:

Many members of the group are reportedly from the Catholic Worker communities, and say they are pledged to non-violence, but according to WGNTV's continued description:

A handful of protesters remained inside near the elevator banks to the upper floors and refused to leave when asked by the building manager and police. They were handcuffed and escorted out a side door, singing “This Little Light of Mine.”

As they were led to a police van, a throng of protestors standing behind a wall of officers with bicycles sang  "Ain't Going to Study War No More" and cheered and thanked those who were arrested.

"We are here today to boldly proclaim our desire to live in a world where we say no to NATO and yes to community," said Chantal de Alacuaz from Chicago. "As Catholic Workers, we serve the poor by practicing the works of mercy--feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, taking care of the sick and the works of war are directly opposed to that."

But the question remains: How would people who spend their days protesting have enough food to feed themselves, let alone others?

Twitchy captured a final exemplary tweet from someone at the event: "Time to disappear..gotta find free food."

(H/T: Twitchy)