The video released Tuesday shows McDonald jogging down a street and then veering away from Van Dyke and another officer who emerge from a police SUV drawing their guns.
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Prosecutors finally charged Van Dyke with first-degree murder after a court ordered the video to be released. Although protesters were prevented from entering retail stores by police, they managed to keep some shoppers from entering.
Some shops temporarily closed their doors because of the protests, which coincided with the start of the holiday shopping season, as demonstrators locked arms and blocked entrances. The video showed that McDonald actually was walking away from the officers.
Despite chilly temperatures and rain, Friday’s rally saw more people gather than in previous protests on Tuesday and Wednesday. City officials have not provided any further information regarding why the video footage was not cited at the time of the shooting.
One of the demands by the protesters is the resignation of State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who they say tried to cover up last year’s police killing of LaQuan McDonald.
“We’re here to ask for justice, to ask for responses to make sure the public officials do what they’re supposed to do, which is to serve the public, protect the public”.
Friday’s protests drew hundreds that crowded the city North Michigan Avenue, a shopping strip that includes high-end retailers like Hugo Boss, Cartier, and Gucci, on traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
CTU President Karen Lewis issued a statement urging members to express their “outrage and dignity” by participating in Friday’s march on Michigan Avenue on a stretch called the Magnificent Mile. He noted there’s a lot of energy in the aftermath of the video being released but wondered whether protesters will be able to maintain their momentum. They’ve also complained that Emanuel’s administration spends too much money on policing, while the mayor has chosen to shut down 50 schools in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods to try to mitigate the city’s yawning financial problems.
Protesters carried signs reading, “Stop police terror”, as well as signs with images of the autopsy of the 17-year-old, showing his sixteen wounds. He also acknowledged that the public has the right to protest, but the Chicago police will not tolerate criminal acts during demonstrations. In the seven years between 2008-2014, 74 percent of people shot by police in Chicago were black. After chatting with officers on the scene, Camden described the very 1st cops officers account of why Officer Jason Van Dyke fired the fatal shots putting LaQuan McDonald.
A group of protesters cut off the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s speech on Laquan McDonald’s deadly shooting Friday when they pulled the leader’s microphone and stormed the podium while he spoke outside the historic Water Tower, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.
In September, the Chicago Tribune filed a lawsuit alleging that the mayor violated state open-records laws by refusing to release communications about city business conducted through private emails and text messages.
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As with the McDonald case, the results of the Servin trial ignited criticism of Alvarez.
