Dubbed “Chicago’s Protest King,” Andy Thayer is no stranger to controversy. He’s had a key role in organizing protests in Chicago, including a march on Lake Shore Drive at the start of the Iraq war that drew 15,000 protesters. Thayer is perhaps the most prominent figure as Chicago nears the NATO summits—as far as protests are concerned—and the Chicago Sun-Times questioned whether he is an agent of “change” or a “pain in the butt” in a comprehensive profile.