Police block Laquan McDonald protesters who tried to enter Water Tower Place?
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On the night of October 20, 2014, Laquan McDonald, a 17-year-old African-American teenager in Chicago, was walking down the street when two police cruisers sped up to him. The protesters also shouted familiar refrains from earlier protests, including “16 shots and a cover up” – a reference to the number of shots Officer Jason Van Dyke fired at Laquan McDonald. “16 shots!” Local law enforcement officials patrolled the area to prevent any rioting or breakouts.
There was a fracas involving a few dozen protesters at the Banana Republic which reportedly included some arrests. Traffic was blocked for most of the day as protesters marched down the Magnificent Mile. “People of all races are out here supporting this stoppage of profits over people”, said Phillip Jackson, founder of the Black Star Project, an educational and mentoring organization on Chicago’s South Side.
On Friday, several veteran civil rights leaders joined the protests, including Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bishop Larry Trotter, and Rev. Mark Barclay, of Trinity United Church of Christ. “None of these people could even tell you why they’re protesting”.
Police had initially said that McDonald, who was high on PCP, lunged at Van Dyke while brandishing a knife.
“The police department is corrupted”.
“When they do what appears to have happened here, they should be charged as was the case in this case. That has to end”, he said.
“I thought it was a joke”, said frustrated West Loop resident Nilo Khan, 30, after she and other shoppers were turned away from Zara by protesters. That’s outrageous and should lead to further criminal inquiries and the immediate firing of the city’s police superintendent, Garry McCarthy.
“We have watched in anger and disappointment as the city has covered up police violence”, said teachers union Vice President Jesse Sharkey. The video’s release has set off days of largely peaceful but angry protests by young activists in Chicago’s downtown that has drawn national attention. So the Black community wants to know has Alvarez thrown us under the bus again? The ministers countered, “Let us pray, let us pray”.
Here (with a hat tip to Countenance Blog) is an interesting counter-take on the 2014 Chicago shooting of Laquan McDonald.
The reason the Magnificent Mile shops were closed was for safety concerns regarding the employees, the customers and the protesters themselves.
The protest began – the same as others this week – with a mass of demonstrators at the Michigan Avenue Bridge.
“It seemed to be pretty peaceful”, Howard said.
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The information in the database comes from reports spanning 2002 to 2008 and 2011 to 2015, which were released by the Chicago Police Department in response to Freedom of Information Act requests and a years-long legal battle over whether citizen complaints should be public information. “Department stores have nothing, nothing, nothing to do with this”, he said. Van Dyke’s next court appearance is on November 30. “See this attractive black lady? We’re going to put her in Anita’s position”, Trotter said Thursday. Van Dyke was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder. And that’s wrong. And people need to stand up and say that. “That is your job”, Foxx xaid. Van Dyke reloaded his weapon to continue shooting, but was told to cease his fire.
