Days of protests: The people take the streets of Chicago after years of police brutality and disinvestment
#DAYS of PROTESTS
The people take the streets of Chicago after years of police brutality and disinvestment
The people tried peacefully protesting. That didn’t work. They tried seeking justice in court, but a historically racist system reared its ugly head nearly every time, ruling in favor of the oppressor over our Black skin.
It happened to Rekia Boyd in 2012. Dante Servin, the off-duty Chicago Police Department (CPD) officer who killed her, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, and was later cleared in a bench trial after the judge ruled that he should have been charged with first-degree murder.
It happened to Laquan McDonald in 2014. CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke fatally shot him 16 times. Initially, Van Dyke wasn’t charged and the shooting was ruled justified — until several protests and a FOIA request resulted in a court-ordered release of the dash-cam video showing the shooting. Even then, after being found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery, the officer was only sentenced to 6.75 years in prison.
The police killings of unarmed Black people such as George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., have sparked uprisings nationwide. Here in Chicago, tensions stem from CPD’s abusive, and at times torturous, relationship with the Black community. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice found that CPD engaged in a pattern of “unconstitutional force,” that resulted in racially discriminatory conduct and the harmful treatment of Black and Latino people. Coupled with the socio-economic challenges of COVID-19 and the ongoing disinvestment in Black neighborhoods, communities are starting to rebel and demand what they need.
On Saturday, May 30, Chicago joined cities across the U.S. in the “Day of Protest,” organized locally by the Chicago Alliance against Racist and Political Repression. “We, the thugs, demand justice,” one protestor’s sign read.
The TRiiBE team covered the protest on our Twitter page. An estimated 3,000 protestors took the streets peacefully, taking an eight-minute moment of silence for George Floyd, uplifting Breonna Taylor’s name, footworking on police squad cars and freestyle rapping about the impact of police brutality.
As tensions intensified between law enforcement and protesters, our video and photo coverage captured physical confrontations, vandalized police cars, crowds attempting to flip over a CPD wagon and people spilling onto Lake Shore Drive, which resulted in the closure of northbound and southbound lanes and the Chicago city flag being set on fire. Later in the day, police administered pepper gas and crowds broke into stores at the Water Tower Place and other shops on Michigan Avenue.
On Sunday, May 31, business owners and community members worked to clean up the broken glass and debris left behind. Meanwhile, peaceful protestors continued to march through downtown Chicago and neighborhoods across the city in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others killed by the police. Additionally, Chicago and Illinois government officials are ramping up police presence as looting and other unlawful activities are happening at retail stores and malls across the city and its surrounding suburbs.
We’ve compiled a list of responses from local government officials, community organizers and more about what’s happening on the ground in Chicago.
Click on the tabs below to read updates from each group.
- Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) — the organization that called for May 30 “Day of Protest in 15 different cities — said NAARPR would not protest onSunday because they need to take time to recollect and strategize a plan to continue to protest. He said that Mayor Lori Lightfoot herself should have been at the protest. “She should have been there calling for justice. This is a question of justice. This is not a question of repressing and suppressing protests, which they are trying to turn this into.” Chapman said the mayor is on the other side of the movement, and because of this, the messages of protestors at Saturday’s protest are at odds with hers. “Lightfoot has always been very pro-police and anti any type of democratic control for the police,” said Chapman. “Our movement and her [agenda] has always been at odds around this question. This is a rebellion that is well-justified and very reasonable considering what has been happening to Black people. We have been getting murdered by law enforcement and vigilantes. Calling the National Guard is not going to stop us.”
- According to Kofi Ademola, an adult organizer with GoodKids MadCity (GKMC), a youth violence prevention group, “They’re all recuperating from everything from last night and one of them actually got arrested,” he said. Ademola said that he admired the leadership of the young people from GKMC who protested on May 30 and even took the lead in getting protestors to Lake Shore Drive, which was eventually shut down. GKMC had about 15 young people on the ground at Saturday’s protest and then eventually merged with about 200 others at the protest, according to Ademola. “They were leading people away from police to go toward Lake Shore Drive to shut it down,” he said. He also said that, on the morning of May 31, he had to help support one of the young ladies from GKMC that was arrested before Lightfoot enacted the 9:00 p.m. curfew during Saturday’s protest. “They hit her with some simple misdemeanor charge. They picked her up. She didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.
- According to Black Lives Matter Chicago (BLM Chicago) co-lead Amika Tendaji, “We are trying to cop watch and bear witness to mitigate the police abuses that are happening all over the city. We are scrambling to get the 1500 people that were arrested last night out of jail to recoup and strategize.” (Ed. Note: CPD Supt. David Brown reported that 240 people were arrested during Saturday’s protest). Tendaji said that she joined BLM Chicago and Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) during Saturday’s protest. She was there from about noon until about 11:00 p.m. that night. “The people have far more clever strategies than the mayor and the police force,” said Tendaji. “People were just out there outsmarting police at every turn. There was some level of violence, but a lot more collectivity.”
- According to a June 5 press release from United Working Families, “Before COVID-19, before George Floyd, and well after, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has encouraged and engendered violence against Black, Latinx and immigrant neighborhoods. Currently, the CPD receives about 40% of the city’s operating budget. That’s $1.7 billion annually of money that could be going to social services and education. Chicago police officers have beat us and harassed us in our own neighborhoods before these protests, and are now using our demonstrations to use military violence against us. NO MORE! WE DEMAND: Defund and demilitarize the police, CPD and National Guard stand down IMMEDIATELY, End the city-wide curfew, Release all protesters, Redirect CPD funds to CPS, PPE equipment, COVID-19 testing, and rent relief, and Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) now.”
- On May 31, Mayor Lori Lightfoot asked Gov. J.B. Pritzker to deploy the National Guard to Chicago to help with the “criminal activity” happening during the protests. In total, 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers came to Chicago to work alongside CPD. They helped manage street closures, according to city and state officials, and will not interfere with peaceful protests. “This is an immensely challenging moment for our city, our state and our country, one born from decades and centuries of systemic racism,” Pritzker said in a press release. “To those peacefully expressing the pain, fear and rage of this moment, I hear you.”
- At a May 31 press conference, CPD Supt. Brown said Saturday’s “Day of Protest” started peacefully, but quickly devolved into looting, property damage and violence. Throughout the protest, six people were shot — and a 26-year-old man was killed after a verbal exchanged escalated into gunfire, he said. Brown said he saw officers pelted with bottles and debris throughout the protest, some were even punched and dragged through the streets, he said. More than 20 officers went to the hospital, and at least two required surgery, he said. “Chicago police officers showed professionalism, restraint and patience. CPD made Chicago proud last night.”
- On May 31, Lightfoot announced several precautionary measures to keep people and businesses safe during protests and rallies. The Central Business District and the Loop area are now closed — only essential workers and area residents can access the area. The Department of Streets and Sanitation, Department of Water Management and CPD will help restrict access in those areas.
- During Saturday’s protest, CTA shut down its bus and train services in the Loop. On May 31, Lightfoot announced that CTA service will continue to be suspended going in and out of the Loop.
- After 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, during the protests, Lightfoot enacted a daily 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. city curfew. The curfew is in effect until further notice. CPD will enforce the curfew through warnings, fines and arrests.
- At 6:30 p.m. on Sunday (May 31), CTA suspended all bus and rail lines, as requested by public safety officials. “Service is expected to resume tomorrow morning.”
- On June 1, Supt. Brown reported that CPD officers arrested nearly 700 people — with 416 of those arrests being on the South and West side — during yesterday’s protests. The arrests were primarily for looting, Brown said. Sixty-four guns were recovered and 132 officers were injured, he added. In total, there were 48 shootings and 17 deaths due to homicides. City officials reported receiving 65,000 calls for service within the 24-hour period, which is more than the 50,000 calls on a typical day.
- On June 1, Pritzker called in 250 additional National Guardsmen to assist law enforcement departments across the state during the ongoing protests. Additional state policemen were deployed as well.
- On June 8, Supt. Brown reported that CPD officers made 2,665 arrests for civil unrest and disorderly conduct and 788 arrests for looting, since May 29. He said CPD also seized 529 guns during that period.
- On June 15, Lightfoot and the CPD announced the launch of the CPD Use of Force Community Working Group as part of the mayor’s four-year effort on police reform in the city. The working group will consist of residents, students, local advocates and public safety experts. Lightfoot said the working group will review current work of force policies as a component of improving the use of force by CPD. She said the working group will be co-chaired by CPD Area Four Deputy Chief Ernest Cato, and Karen Winters, founder of Justice for Families (J45) — a national alliance of local organizations committed to ending the youth incarceration epidemic. This announcement comes only four days after U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) showed surveillance video of at least eight CPD officers found lounging in his South Side campaign office while looting and other criminal activity was occurring in the surrounding area. CPD also announced an online Use of Force dashboard to give the public use of force incidents from the last five years and statistics regarding CPD’s use of force activity. “Ultimately our goal is simple: create better policies and better training for our officers in order to empower them to address situations appropriately and to prevent incidents stemming from excessive force in the future,” said Lightfoot. “The best way to do this is by making sure that the community has a seat at the table, at the beginning of the process, and that everything we do reflects the community’s interest and needs.” The city will bring the community into the police academy as teachers, provide training on neighborhood history from the community’s perspective and expand programs that provide youth-led neighborhood exposure and education like My Block My Hood My City tours, said Lightfoot. She also said that this new initiative will consist of mandated crisis intervention, reforms to improve police officer wellness, procedural justice training, more de-escalation tools and a new recruit program focusing on police community relations and community policing. Lightfoot wants to see some specific measures implemented within 90 days. “We need to make all of these things real and meaningful and substantive, and we will,” she said. “Our city needs us and our people are rightfully demanding it,” Lightfoot said. “It is our job as public servants to get this done and see it through, and we will do exactly that.”
- Mass March:Black, Brown, White — Bridgeport Unites! No to Racism! No to Vigilantes! #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd in Bridgeport (2 p.m. on June 7)
- Youth led Black & Brown Unity March: Justice for George Floyd at 4922 S. Western Avenue (4 p.m. on June 6)
- Chicago March of Justice at Union Park (11 a.m. on June 6)
- United Against Racism & Police Violence at Thomas Kelly High School (10:30 a.m. on June 6)
- “Black Out Friday” at Mandrake Park (4 p.m. on June 5)
- “Defund CPD” rally at Union Park (6 p.m. on June 5)
- Boystown near Halsted (as of 5 p.m. on June 1)
- 51st and Wentworth near the CPD station (as of 2 p.m. on June 1)
- 40th and Cottage Grove (on May 31)
- 53rd and Lake Park (on May 31)
- Fullerton and Halsted (on May 31)
- 35th and Michigan (on May 31)
- Plan ahead for essential needs and supplies. You don’t always know what to expect during a protest, so be prepared with masks, face coverings, gloves and shatter-resistant goggles, if possible.
- Bring water, snacks, emergency money, a basic first aid kit and any medical supplies you may need, including inhalers, insulin and prescription medication. Have an ID on you and have a safety plan in the case you are arrested and need to be bailed out.
- Avoid the use of oils and lotions in the case of dealing with tear gas. Oils and lotions can trap tear gas chemicals and prolong your exposure.
- Make sure your clothing protects your entire body. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and a hat to protect from weather conditions and chemical weapons.
- Understand your rights. Law enforcement must allow for a peaceful public assembly. Remember that you also have a right to medical assistance during protest. If arrested, you have the right to be told why you’re being arrested. If your rights are at any point violated, you have the right to file a complaint and receive necessary information to do so. Contact the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Chicago at 312-201-9740, ACLU-Minnesota at 651-645-4097 and ACLU-Louisville at 502-581-1181 for information on lawyers and legal assistance.
