Meanwhile, organizers like Miracle Boyd of Good Kids Mad City, who have levied demands like removing police from CPS schools, see Lightfoot’s administration as a barrier to progress.
“Anyone who is enabling her to keep lying to people about what she supports should be thrown under the bus right along with her,” Boyd said. “She promised us she wanted equitable education, to invest in communities and stop gentrification in our neighborhoods, but instead she’s giving $1.8 billion to CPD. I don’t care what color you are or any of that. Just serve us and treat us right as people.”
Bella Bahhs’ May 19 interview with Lightfoot contextualizes her policy decisions in a revealing way that’s scarcely been seen in two years of coverage from a plethora of both local and national media outlets. Among the most revealing moments in the piece is Lightfoot’s response to Bahhs’ question about abolishing qualified immunity — a practice that shields officers accused of excessive force and other civil rights violations from personal liability. Lightfoot’s replied with the following:
“If you unarm the city with valid defenses and officers, I think the consequences are going to be monumental. I think the amount of money that we are paying out in settlements and judgements is only going to go up exponentially,” she said. “I think, as an officer, if you believe that you’ve made an honest mistake, and you’re now going to risk your pension, your salary, your house, your future, I don’t know who would take that job.”
It’s an answer that doesn’t just leave something to be desired from an alleged progressive, it also signals to Chicagoans that protecting the image of law enforcement careers takes precedence over accountability for the Black and brown Chicagoans that they murder.
Reina Torres is an organizer with GoodKids MadCity and was one of the people leading the rally. When she heard Lightfoot’s response to qualified immunity, she showed no hesitation with her read of it.
“I’m not surprised. She has a record of not supporting police accountability. She fought her ass off to make sure that the Anjanette Young video didn’t get released,” Torres said. “The fact that she can say something like this while giving our money to people who are killing us, says everything about who she is as a mayor.”