Chicago Trump Tax Protest: Marchers Do 'Chicken Dance' Over President's Tax Returns

CHICAGO, IL — On the traditional day Americans file their taxes, thousands of demonstrators Saturday gathered in downtown Chicago to demand President Donald Trump release his tax returns, one of more than 100 such rallies held in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston and other cities around the country. Like previous rallies targeting Trump, his administration and its policies since he was elected in November, Tax March Chicago continued an unofficial trend of adding a bit of performance art to the event's activism, with demonstrators performing "The Chicken Dance" in front of "Chicken Don," a 30-foot inflatable poultry mascot sporting the chief executive's signature hair. In the past, the president's critics have labeled him a "chicken" for not disclosing his returns.

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The crowd — organizers estimated it between 2,000 and 4,000 people — filled Daley Plaza at around noon Saturday, April 15, before marching north to the Chicago River across from Trump International Tower and Hotel, according to the Chicago Tribune. At the plaza and during the procession, participants chanted and carried a variety of signs urging Trump to make his taxes public:

Protesters also were joined by guest speakers that included the Rev. Jesse Jackson; U.S. Reps. Mike Quigley and Jan Schakowsky; and state Sen. Daniel Bliss, an Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Although the elected officials passed on showing off their dance moves during "The Chicken Dance," they did fire up protesters by attacking Trump for withholding his returns, as well as criticizing his other policies, including his ongoing standoff with North Korea and its nuclear threat.

WATCH: The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks at Saturday's Tax March on Chicago:

"Congress, do your job. Demand all Americans pay their taxes," said Jackson, who engaged the crowd in call-and-response exchanges. He also took Trump's administration to task for its stand on immigration, climate change and other issues.

"There was a big fight last week about United Airlines …," Jackson said, referring to airline passenger violently dragged from a flight. "Last fall, United Airlines did not pay any corporate taexs. They get TIF money, they get tax subsides, and yet, they pay no taxes.

“Whether you are United Airlines or Donald Trump, the 1 percent should not have privilege at the expense of the rest of America. It's all of us. All of us must work and pay our fair share of taxes. All of us must work and make sure our tax returns are transparent."

WATCH: Check out some of the signs demonstrators held during Saturday's Tax March in Chicago:

Trump has refused to follow the presidential tradition of releasing tax returns throughout the campaign and after the election. His reasons for withholding the records have varied. Originally, he claimed his lawyers told him not to because he was facing an IRS audit. He's also said voters don't care about his returns, something that the thousands of protesters in Chicago and across the country would dispute.

"I think absolutely people care," River West ad exec Aaron Straka told the Tribune. He attended the rally on a broken foot and in a shirt he made that read, "Broken foot and still marching to see your taxes." "I think a majority of the people that voted for Hillary Clinton absolutely care, and that's the majority of people."

RELATED: Watch Protesters Moon Trump Tower Over President's Refusal To Release Tax Returns

"When you’re the leader of the free world, you’re held to a higher standard," South Sider Lorie Washington told the Chicago Sun-Times. "And you should be, because our taxes are paying your salary … for his protection. He’s supposed to work for us. We should know if he’s making money on the presidency, if he’s contributing, who he owes money to."

WATCH: Protesters perform "The Chicken Dance" during the Tax March on Saturday:

Taran Singh Brar, one of the rally's organizers who also emceed the event, told the Tribune the demonstration was "a huge success." Certainly, one of the rally's highlights and its centerpiece was the "Chicken Don" mascot that help set the tone for a group "Chicken Dance." Brar helped bring the Trump-resembling inflatable chicken, also known as the Trump Rooster, by raising a little more than $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to have it delivered to Chicago for the protest. The money covered the cost of the inflatable, as well as march, including permits, police security, the stage and sound system and other expense, according to the fundraising page.

A quirk in the 2017 calendar gave rally organizers across the country an opportunity to stage the protest on the traditional tax day without causing problems for any last-minute filers. Thanks to April 15 falling on a Saturday this year, and Emancipation Day being held Monday in Washington, D.C., the deadline to file taxes was moved to Tuesday, April 18, according to the Sun-Times.

This isn't the first time a Chicago protest over Trump's refusal to release his tax returns has used a flashy gimmick. In February, a little more than 1,000 demonstrators participated in "Operation: Kiss Our Asses, Release Your Taxes" by dropping their drawers and mooning Trump Tower.

More via the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times

Protesters march through downtown Chicago during the Tax March on Saturday, April 15. (screen shot via video by TheGreatPhotoGuy | YouTube)

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