Chicago Mayor Emanuel Does Not Like Nickelback, Spokesperson Says

NPR | By Eyder Peralta

Published September 11, 2012 at 5:36 PM EDT

A sign seen during a protest by the Chicago Teachers Union.

The strike going on in Chicago is serious: 350,000 students are locked out and we brought you the news in a post from this morning.

We'll get back to real news in a little. First, here's a bit of levity:

There is a picture from the picket lines on Monday that had Daniel Strauss, who tweeted it, saying, "Civility has disappeared in Chicago Teachers Union protests."

The sign was written in all caps: "RAHM EMANUEL LIKES NICKELBACK."

Nickelback, if you're not of that persuasion, is a popular Canadian rock band, which is not entirely unfamiliar with this kind of controversy. Back in 2011, Detroit Lions fans actually started a petition to have the band removed from a half-time show.

But, alas, this protest sign — and pop culture slur — would be rated "false" if checked out by Politifact. The mayor's spokesperson responded with one word when the Chicago Redeye asked if Emanuel liked Nickelback: "No."