chicagotribune--2020-06-05--George Floyd fallout: Brickyard Mall incident under investigation; Lightfoot denounces vigilantism a

George Floyd fallout: Brickyard Mall incident under investigation; Lightfoot denounces vigilantism after white men patrol Bridgeport with bats; state urges protesters to get tested for COVID-19

Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined Thursday to comment on video from the Brickyard Mall where an officer knelt on a woman , saying it ’ s an ongoing investigation , but promised that the police oversight agency investigating “ is doing everything it can to identify the officers and then make an appropriate recommendation.
” Additionally , the mayor said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest .
Also on Thursday , the state announced an expansion of free testing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites , without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor ’ s order .
Health officials are encouraging anyone who has participated in mass gatherings to get tested .
Since Floyd ’ s death , the Minneapolis Board of Education has ended its contract with the local police department .
Pressure is mounting for school districts nationwide to follow suit , a movement that was already underway in Chicago .
Among the demands of protesters this week , including many CPS students , is for the district to nullify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Chicago Police Department in August for school resources officers in CPS buildings .
The only board member to vote against it was Elizabeth Todd-Breland , who cited research showing that having police in schools often contributes to the school-to prison pipeline , which disproportionately affects students of color .
“ The city of Chicago should be investing that money ... in our communities .
They should be investing that money in after-school programs and mental health resources , '' said Garcia , 18 .
“ We don ’ t need more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day we are just being set up for the school-to-prison pipeline.
” The police department is currently reviewing its policies for school resources officers , who are assigned to 77 % of CPS-run high schools , according to the district .
The contract already includes several reforms to the way police are trained and involved with schools , a shift from reactive enforcement to proactive intervention .
Read more here .
—Hannah Leone In Lake Zurich ’ s Breezewald Park , a rally organized by high school and college students drew more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter movement and to protest the death of George Floyd in police custody .
Students from Lake Zurich High School said they wanted to stand in solidarity with black victims of oppression such as Floyd , who died after a police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest in Minneapolis last week .
“ It ’ s just as important to educate white people they need to use their voices to stand against oppression of black people , “ said co-organizer Zach Richards , 17 , who is just graduating from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dana Fleming wouldn ’ t let her attend a protest in Chicago , so she decided to organize her own event .
She said it ’ s important for people with white privilege to “ stand up for people of color.
“ Along with students and families , some older residents also show their support .
Octogenarians Beryl Ibbotson and Bill Ditman said they hoped the Minneapolis incident would bring about change .
“ This has gone on for 400 years , ” said Ibbotson , who is originally from England but now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m hoping this will be a wake-up call for everybody.
“ Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton said some residents were worried about the rally or questioned why it had to be there , but he reassured them it would be a peaceful .
The crowd stayed silent for about nine minutes in memory of the length of time a police officer knelt on George Floyd before he was pronounced dead .
They then made a peaceful march through downtown Lake Zurich .
Latino and black Chicagoans organized Wednesday on the Southwest Side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in Latino neighborhoods after protests and looting followed George Floyd ’ s killing in Minneapolis .
Many joined peace marches and engaged in other collective actions throughout the city in an attempt to begin the dismantling of the anti-black narrative and avoid more violence between the two communities .
The social media reports fueled more fear and frustration in the black community , said Jai Simpson , who participated in a Little Village unity march organized by El Foro del Pueblo , a grassroots organization made up of volunteers to promote civic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first , Simpson , who is black , joined about 200 people at Wednesday ’ s march because he said he believes the wrongdoings come from a small group of Latinos who do not represent the community as a whole .
Read more here .
—Laura Rodríguez Presa The Cook County state ’ s attorney ’ s office said Thursday it is reviewing allegations that Chicago police pulled a woman from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck .
“ We are aware of the incident that occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thorough , independent review of the matter , including the conduct of the police officers involved , ” the office said .
“ We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney.
” The investigation into the officers ’ conduct is being done in collaboration with the FBI , according to Cook County state ’ s attorney ’ s office spokeswoman Aviva Bowen .
The statement came hours after the attorney for the woman , Mia Wright , demanded a criminal investigation into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
—Gregory Pratt and David Jackson 4:24 p.m. : Grocery stores that closed during the George Floyd fallout start to reopen .
But food remains elusive in some neighborhoods .
Many grocery stores that shut their doors this week during the fallout from George Floyd ’ s death in Minneapolis started to open again Thursday with limited hours , hoping the unrest that damaged dozens of neighborhood businesses had quieted .
But some remain closed with no word on when they might resume operations , raising concerns about food access in communities that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shore , Local Market , which had been boarded up and closed since Sunday , opened with shortened hours Thursday after hearing from residents who said they needed the store to function because they didn ’ t have food , co-owner Eva Jakubowski said .
Parts of the neighborhood had been designated a food desert by the city before Local Market opened in December on a site that had been vacant since Dominick ’ s closed six years before .
Looters tried to break in Monday but the store ’ s security guards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them off before they caused serious damage , Jakubowski said .
On Wednesday , close to 500 volunteers gathered to help clean up the store .
“ The way the community has stepped up to support their store is something I have never seen before , ” Jakubowski said .
“ So many people are depending on us because they really need us.
” Read more here .
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz Activist groups have asked the court-appointed monitor overseeing reforms to the Chicago Police Department to investigate and report on allegations that officers abused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decry police mistreatment of African Americans .
The groups also want the monitor , former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey , to require the city to discourage officers from arresting protesters .
The letter to Hickey , who is overseeing a consent decree that mandates broad changes to the troubled police force , also complains of protesters being detained without contact with lawyers and asks her to establish a process for attorneys to communicate with arrested clients .
In the letter sent Thursday , Sheila Bedi , a Northwestern University law professor who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wrote : “ Clearly , the consent decree entirely failed to provide any meaningful protection to the people of Chicago against CPD violence during the recent protests.
” “ If the independent monitoring team fails to take decisive , urgent action at this moment , the consent decree will be a historic failure , ” the letter states .
Read more here .
—Dan Hinkel 3:56 p.m. : Lightfoot says Brickyard incident is under investigation , rejects calls to defund police : ‘ It would be irresponsible ’ Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brickyard Mall where an officer kneeled on a woman , saying it ’ s an ongoing investigation , but promised that the police oversight agency investigating “ is doing everything it can to identify the officers , and then make an appropriate recommendation.
” “ I don ’ t want to get ahead and I ’ m not the head of ( the Civilian Oversight Police Authority ) .
I ’ m the mayor and I want COPA to be doing its job , but doing it independently , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ strikes .
I mean , of course I have my own personal opinion about it , but I ’ m not going to share it , because I don ’ t want to influence what COPA ’ s work is , they ’ ve got to , they have the jurisdiction and the mandate , and more importantly they have my full support to do their job , independently.
“ Lightfoot said it isn ’ t easy to identify officers in a “ grainy video ” but they are being investigated and once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be reported to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown .
“ The Cook County State ’ s Attorney ’ s Office is committed to public safety and pursuing the fair administration of justice for everyone in our communities .
We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough , independent review of the matter , including the conduct of the police officers involved .
We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney , '' the statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s an appropriate action at this time .
I think that the people in our neighborhoods want and have been begging for more police support , ” she said .
“ In light of what ’ s happened over the last couple days , it would be irresponsible for me to even entertain any idea that we would cut back on our public safety resources at this time.
“ Lightfoot again reiterated her support for some civilian oversight of police but noted that there remain “ a final few issues ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
3:44 p.m. : More than 400 protesters — many of them students — march through Grayslake More than 400 protesters marched through the streets of Grayslake Thursday afternoon , decrying racism and police actions in the deaths of African Americans in several recent tragedies nationwide .
Chanting the names of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and Laquan McDonald , the crowd stretched about a half mile and shut down Illinois Route 83 and the entrance to the College of Lake County .
Many of the protesters were students from local schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried signs reading , “ Black Lives Matter , “ and chanted , “ No justice , no peace , no racist police.
” “ I ’ m out here because I ’ m tired of seeing people who look like me getting killed across the country , “ said Jeremy Glende , 21 , of Gurnee .
Protesters were trying to broaden the focus , he said , from just one incident to many .
Harper Fischer , a social studies teacher at Grayslake North High School , said she joined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t look my students in the face and tell them they ’ re safe in America.
“ —Robert McCoppin 3:04 p.m. : Family seeks criminal investigation after they say Chicago cops pulled woman from car by hair and placed knee on her neck The family of a woman who says Chicago police pulled her from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck demanded a criminal investigation into the officers Thursday .
“ I didn ’ t do anything , ” Mia Wright , 25 , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of Brickyard Mall , where she said the officers surrounded her car , broke the windows with clubs and pulled her to the ground on Sunday .
“ I was trying to get out with my hands up .
They continue to break the window , and before you know it I was being pulled out of the vehicle , pulled by my hair , ” Wright said , crying .
“ The officer grabbed me .
I had my hair tied in a bun .
He grabbed me by the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vehicle .
And that is when they threw me on the ground , and he proceeded to put his knee in my neck.
” Read more here .
—Chicago Tribune staff Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest .
Multiple streets were blocked in the Bridgeport neighborhood Wednesday night as nearby protests dispersed .
Near West 39th Street , water hurled from an open fire hydrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the men held bats .
One wore a shirt that said “ All Lives Matter , ” one sipped a beer and another waved at an officer as he drove by .
Additional groups of people , some armed with bats , lined West 31st Street .
Asked about the situation in Bridgeport , a diversifying neighborhood that served as an Irish-American power base for the Daley political family , Lightfoot said , “ It is absolutely not appropriate for people to take up arms , bats , pipes , whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we ’ re not about to allow that practice to happen here in Chicago .
If there ’ s an issue , call 911 , ” Lightfoot said .
“ I absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what ’ s going on on the streets and in their blocks but taking up arms , that leads to chaos and we ’ re not supporting vigilantism in the city of Chicago under any circumstances.
” The letter to congressional leaders from Raoul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an expansion of the law enforcement misconduct section of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 , enacted three years after Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers .
“ Once again , our nation has been called to reckon with police brutality against black people in this country and the systemic failures that cause and allow this misconduct to perpetuate , ” the letter states .
“ Many members of the public have no trust in the police , with tensions visible in the streets across this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all levels of government to remedy the injustice of police misconduct.
” Read more here .
—Jamie Munks It ’ s been nearly 10 days since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hand of a Minneapolis police officer , during which time massive protests against police violence have taken place across the country .
But while tens of thousands have taken to the streets to express their anger at the systemic racism that has gripped the United States , the usually vocal Kanye West has been surprisingly quiet .
Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has donated $ 2 million so far to charities associated with Ahmaud Arbery , Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and has set up a college fund to cover tuition for Floyd ’ s 6-year-old daughter Gianna .
In addition , the rapper has pledged to cover legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families .
And in his hometown of Chicago , he ’ ll also be aiding black-owned businesses with financial contributions .
Read more here .
—Variety 1:47 p.m. : Judge sets bail at $ 750,000 each for 3 former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abetting in death of George Floyd A judge set bail at $ 750,000 apiece Thursday for three fired Minneapolis police officers who have been charged with aiding and abetting in the killing of George Floyd .
The Minneapolis Police Department fired them last week , along with Derek Chauvin , who is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd ’ s May 25 death .
Widely seen bystander video shows the white police officer pressing his knee into Floyd ’ s neck , ignoring the African American man ’ s pleas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until he stopped moving .
Read more here .
—Associated Press 1:34 p.m. : Even with much of downtown reopened , some bridges still up Even as much of downtown has been reopened and transit service has resumed , several city bridges downtown and on the South Side remained closed Thursday afternoon , according to the city .
Bridges at Michigan and Wabash avenues , as well as State , Van Buren , Jackson , Adams and Franklin streets and at 92nd Street remained closed , according to the city .
—Chicago Tribune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing to all and urges those who participated in protests to get tested Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites , state public health officials said Thursday .
The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan , which began May 29 , to phase four , though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone , without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor ’ s order , comes as more businesses have opened and as thousands have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer .
The state is encouraging anyone who has participated in mass gatherings to get tested .
Read more here .
—Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks Three local pastors have called for Joliet Mayor Robert O ’ Dekirk ’ s resignation in the wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is white , and an African American protester that was captured on a video that has gone viral as the Chicago area and nation reel from unrest over issues of racial injustice .
8:08 a.m. : Witness who was in car says George Floyd didn ’ t resist arrest : ‘ I ’ m going to always remember seeing the fear in Floyd ’ s face ’ A longtime friend of George Floyd ’ s who was in the passenger seat of Floyd ’ s car during his fatal encounter with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd tried to defuse the tensions with police and in no way resisted arrest .
“ He was , from the beginning , trying in his humblest form to show he was not resisting in no form or way , ” said the friend , Maurice Lester Hall , 42 , who was tracked down Monday in Houston , arrested on outstanding warrants and interviewed by Minnesota state investigators .
“ I could hear him pleading , ‘ Please , officer , what ’ s all this for ?
’ ” Hall said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times .
Hall recounted the last moments with Floyd on Memorial Day , May 25 , after they had spent part of the day together .
Read more here .
—The New York Times 5:25 a.m. : Peeking out from behind plywood , nervous Chicago stores and restaurants weigh getting back into business When Chicago announced last week its intention to reopen the city Wednesday , its leaders did not anticipate servers emerging with cold drinks and hot plates of food from behind boarded-up windows .
But that — along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back doors and between shattered glass — was the bittersweet mix of cautious optimism and painful reality that greeted the resumption of Chicago ’ s retail and dining operations from 75th Street to the Southport Corridor , as modified for a coronavirus-scarred reality that had collided with the fallout from the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Read more here .
—Chris Jones , Adam Lukach , Grace Wong , Nick Kindelsperger , Kasondra Van Treeck , Lauren Zumbach and Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz 5:20 a.m. : Police investigating alleged racial insult and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River Forest police are investigating after a woman posted a video on social media claiming a man made a racial insult and then scuffled with her .
The incident took place at about 10 a.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of a Jewel store at 7525 W. Lake St. in the western suburb , police said .
In the video , the woman says the man called her a “ black b -- -- ” , among other insults , while in line at a nearby coffee shop , and asks the man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say for yourself now ?
” Read more here .
—Steve Schering 5:15 a.m. : Why Chicago Police Department reform moves slowly despite cries for immediate change After days of street protests urgently calling for changes in the way police treat African Americans , Mayor Lori Lightfoot lamented in a televised speech this week that “ the process of reform has been too slow.
” Indeed , it took decades to even get to the starting line of reforming the historically troubled Chicago Police Department .
The police union strongly pushed back , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant change .
Overhauling the nation ’ s second-largest police force is a task of daunting scope .
Now , a pandemic stands to slow reforms further .
While Lightfoot promised a handful of prompt adjustments , what she listed largely involved educational and support programs for officers , rather than policy changes to guide the police conduct that has driven protests .
She also made a vague call for training efforts that appear similar to some already contained in the federal court order governing department operations .
Read more here .
—Dan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police restraint with knee on neck in Chicago arrest caught on video Tnika Tate said she was parking near a looted mall Sunday when Chicago police surrounded the vehicle , broke the windows and searched Tate and a group of four friends and relatives in the car with her .
Tate , 39 , said an officer restrained her cousin Mia Wright , 25 , by placing a knee on Wright ’ s neck while she was prone on the ground .
Wright was charged with disorderly conduct and released Monday , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of part of the incident was taken by family friend James Smith , 40 , who was driving in a second car .
A copy of the video was first published by the nonprofit digital news organization Block Club Chicago , and Smith provided the Tribune with a copy later Wednesday .
Read more here .
—David Jackson

Police officers guarding the Trump International Hotel & Tower hold back protesters in the Loop on May 30, 2020, during a rally and march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
For the latest updates, check out Friday’s live blog here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined Thursday to comment on video from the Brickyard Mall where an officer knelt on a woman, saying it’s an ongoing investigation, but promised that the police oversight agency investigating “is doing everything it can to identify the officers and then make an appropriate recommendation.”
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office said that it was conducting its own review of the incident in collaboration with the FBI. Hours earlier, the attorney for the woman, Mia Wright, demanded a criminal investigation.
Also on Thursday, Lightfoot said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest. The situation in Bridgeport frightened and angered many residents and activists who expressed concerns about racism and violence.
Advertisement
Additionally, state health officials are urging anyone who participated in mass gatherings following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis to be tested for COVID-19, and said tests are now available to everyone regardless of symptoms at 11 state-run sites.
[ Tribune photographers capture the protests and unrest in Chicago in response to the killing of George Floyd ]
[ Column: I tried to ignore the killings of Black men because it hurt too much. Then came the personal reckoning. ]
[ Get breaking news as it happens with email alerts from the Tribune ]
Here are the latest developments:
8:50 p.m. (updated): Kanye West appears to join march on South Side
It appeared that Kanye West showed up shortly before 8 p.m. to join marchers as they prepared to head down South State Street.
The South Side rapper, with his face mostly covered, emerged after a series of speeches from students and activists. He did not address the crowd and appeared to have left a half hour later as marchers continued north on State.
It appears Kayne West has joined a march after speakers called for CPS to cancel its contract with CPD in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/55JlTkmTG9 — armando l sanchez (@mandophotos) June 5, 2020
The Tribune asked organizers for confirmation of West’s appearance, but they just pointed to the surrounding security.
According to CNN, West has made a $2 million donation to support the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor
As the sun set, marchers cheered: “CPD, KKK, how many kids did you kill today?” —Morgan Greene
8:21 p.m.: Large crowds turn out at suburban events to decry racism in aftermath of George Floyd’s death
More than 400 protesters marched through the streets of Grayslake on Thursday afternoon, decrying racism and police actions in the deaths of African Americans in several recent tragedies across the country.
Advertisement
Chanting the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Laquan McDonald, the crowd stretched about a half-mile and shut down Illinois Route 83 and the entrance to the College of Lake County.
The march was one of many similar events held throughout the suburbs this week that have drawn large crowds.
Many of the protesters in Grayslake were students from local schools. The protesters, some of whom wore red shirts, carried signs reading, “Black Lives Matter“ and chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”
“I’m out here because I’m tired of seeing people who look like me getting killed across the country,“ said Jeremy Glende, 21, of Gurnee.
Protesters were trying to broaden the focus, he said, from just one incident to many. Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
8:07 p.m.: Young people rally for counselors instead of cops
A crowd of a few hundred people, skewing young, showed up Thursday evening under a clear sky outside the closed Zenos Colman Elementary School on the South Side to call for the removal of Chicago police from Chicago Public Schools.
Advertisement
Protesters held signs with messages like “Counselors Not Cops” and “No more CPD in CPS.” Organizers walked around with hand sanitizer and water bottles. The crowd cheered “Books not cops” as students shared stories about the possibilities of what the cost of the police contract could instead fund.
Michelle Yisrael, a nearby resident, said she came to the gathering because most of the men in her life, including her adult sons, have had problems with police. “And also I am an educator, and I never thought it was OK for the Chicago Police Department to be in the high schools. That’s never been OK with me.
“I think it’s important for us to think about the fact that black people did not choose to be here,” she said. “We built this place. It’s just time for things to change. I would like to see my grandchildren and my great grandchildren have a different experience.”
Yisrael said she “will march as many days as my feet will carry me.”
Shelia Hamlin, 53, of Englewood, said she came to the event for her nieces and nephews.
“I just want to get out here and show my support for the young people and let them know it needs to stop,” she said. —Morgan Greene
Advertisement
7:42 p.m.: Hundreds gather near Lincoln Park High School echoing call to defund police
Crowds of hundreds of young people and other Chicagoans gathered at Oz Park near Lincoln Park High School Thursday evening to rally and demand that the city defund the police.
Many gathered on the peak of a nearby hill holding signs, clapping and chanting. Protesters rode in bikes and skateboards, performing tricks before the rally organizers started chanting into a megaphone.
Growing group here near Oz Park, composed predominantly young people. Many are on bikes or skateboards. pic.twitter.com/f0hEEiGRiH — Jessica Villagomez is FURLOUGHED (@JessicaVillag) June 4, 2020
It was another in a series of protests and marches held around the Chicago area in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Several more were taking place around the region Thursday evening, including another student-led march on the South Side.
On the North Side, as protesters clapped and cheered, more than 20 police officers stood at the park’s perimeter.
The group also called for justice for victims of police violence and demanded the release of all protesters from jails. There were also demands for a civilian police accountability council.
According to the city’s budget overview, almost $1.8 billion was budgeted for CPD in 2020.
Advertisement
As hundreds headed west on Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, Camille Garst, 23, of Edison Park, kept an eye out for fellow marchers. Garst said she has been involved in a march almost every day since Saturday.
“I know there a lot of people going out by themselves but I’m encouraging people to stay together,” she said. “I’m trying to take care of my friends.”
Garst added she’d continue to march until change is made.
“This is what you gotta do,” she said. “Come out until they can commit to policy changes.” —Jessica Villagomez
Huge crowd heading West on Chicago Ave now. pic.twitter.com/r2C29uo9xZ — Jessica Villagomez is FURLOUGHED (@JessicaVillag) June 4, 2020
7:25 p.m.: Police killing of George Floyd amplifies calls to remove school resource officers from CPS
Outrage over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis is fueling a local push to get police officers out of Chicago Public Schools.
Since Floyd’s death, the Minneapolis Board of Education has ended its contract with the local police department. Pressure is mounting for school districts nationwide to follow suit, a movement that was already underway in Chicago.
Advertisement
Among the demands of protesters this week, including many CPS students, is for the district to nullify the $33 million contract it entered with the Chicago Police Department in August for school resources officers in CPS buildings.
The only board member to vote against it was Elizabeth Todd-Breland, who cited research showing that having police in schools often contributes to the school-to prison pipeline, which disproportionately affects students of color.
High school senior Diego Garcia, who lives in Brighton Park, cited the same concern when he spoke out against school resource officers.
“The city of Chicago should be investing that money ... in our communities. They should be investing that money in after-school programs and mental health resources," said Garcia, 18. “We don’t need more cops. At the end of the day we are just being set up for the school-to-prison pipeline.”
The police department is currently reviewing its policies for school resources officers, who are assigned to 77% of CPS-run high schools, according to the district. The contract already includes several reforms to the way police are trained and involved with schools, a shift from reactive enforcement to proactive intervention. Read more here. —Hannah Leone
7:24 p.m.: Lake Zurich rally organized by students draws hundreds
In Lake Zurich’s Breezewald Park, a rally organized by high school and college students drew more than 300 people in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest the death of George Floyd in police custody.
Advertisement
Students from Lake Zurich High School said they wanted to stand in solidarity with black victims of oppression such as Floyd, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest in Minneapolis last week.
They emphasized they wanted a peaceful protest in contrast to the rioting and looting that occurred following protests elsewhere.
“It’s just as important to educate white people they need to use their voices to stand against oppression of black people,“ said co-organizer Zach Richards, 17, who is just graduating from high school.
The parents of 15-year-old Dana Fleming wouldn’t let her attend a protest in Chicago, so she decided to organize her own event. She said it’s important for people with white privilege to “stand up for people of color.“
Isabelle Jordan, 19, said her research showed there was a Ku Klux Klan rally in the area in 1921, suggesting a racist history to the predominantly white area.
Along with students and families, some older residents also show their support. Octogenarians Beryl Ibbotson and Bill Ditman said they hoped the Minneapolis incident would bring about change.
Advertisement
Ibbotson called Floyd’s death “outrageous and disgusting."
“This has gone on for 400 years,” said Ibbotson, who is originally from England but now lives in Hawthorne Woods. “I’m hoping this will be a wake-up call for everybody.“
Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton said some residents were worried about the rally or questioned why it had to be there, but he reassured them it would be a peaceful.
“We need to do better,“ he told the crowd. “We need to be committed to change.“
And Waukegan parks commissioner Marc Jones called on those attending to be not just non-racist, but anti-racist, actively working to end discrimination.
The crowd stayed silent for about nine minutes in memory of the length of time a police officer knelt on George Floyd before he was pronounced dead. They then made a peaceful march through downtown Lake Zurich.
Advertisement
As the protesters marched through town, their chants of “black lives matter” could be heard across the lake.
Other demonstrations were scheduled Thursday for the Lake County communities of Waukegan, Zion and Buffalo Grove. —Robert McCoppin
7:06 p.m.: Black and Latino Chicagoans unite to condemn anti-blackness. ‘Don’t let them divide us.’
Latino and black Chicagoans organized Wednesday on the Southwest Side to denounce reports of violence against black people in Latino neighborhoods after protests and looting followed George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.
Many joined peace marches and engaged in other collective actions throughout the city in an attempt to begin the dismantling of the anti-black narrative and avoid more violence between the two communities.
Racial tension intensified after social media posts showed alleged Latino gang members in Little Village and Cicero attacking black passersby in those neighborhoods.
The social media reports fueled more fear and frustration in the black community, said Jai Simpson, who participated in a Little Village unity march organized by El Foro del Pueblo, a grassroots organization made up of volunteers to promote civic engagement.
Advertisement
Although he had doubts at first, Simpson, who is black, joined about 200 people at Wednesday’s march because he said he believes the wrongdoings come from a small group of Latinos who do not represent the community as a whole. Read more here. —Laura Rodríguez Presa
A crowd chants “Black Lives Matter,” by the Little Village arch. Black and Latino Chicagoans unite to condemn anti-blackness: https://t.co/f7xUX7uKw3 pic.twitter.com/2NVI6B3Dkk — Laura N. Rodríguez Presa (@LAURA_N_ROD) June 4, 2020
More faces of the peace march in Little Village. The actions in solidarity with the Black community will continue through the weekend, in efforts to ease racial tension upheave after reported violence against Blacks in Latino neighborhoods: https://t.co/f7xUX7uKw3 pic.twitter.com/4iR3dvKQQL — Laura N. Rodríguez Presa (@LAURA_N_ROD) June 4, 2020
6:32 p.m.: Cook County state’s attorney’s office says it will review Brickyard Mall arrest
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said Thursday it is reviewing allegations that Chicago police pulled a woman from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck.
“We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough, independent review of the matter, including the conduct of the police officers involved,” the office said. “We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney.”
The investigation into the officers’ conduct is being done in collaboration with the FBI, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Aviva Bowen.
The statement came hours after the attorney for the woman, Mia Wright, demanded a criminal investigation into the incident last Sunday. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt and David Jackson
4:24 p.m.: Grocery stores that closed during the George Floyd fallout start to reopen. But food remains elusive in some neighborhoods.
Many grocery stores that shut their doors this week during the fallout from George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis started to open again Thursday with limited hours, hoping the unrest that damaged dozens of neighborhood businesses had quieted.
Advertisement
But some remain closed with no word on when they might resume operations, raising concerns about food access in communities that already had limited options.
In South Shore, Local Market, which had been boarded up and closed since Sunday, opened with shortened hours Thursday after hearing from residents who said they needed the store to function because they didn’t have food, co-owner Eva Jakubowski said.
Parts of the neighborhood had been designated a food desert by the city before Local Market opened in December on a site that had been vacant since Dominick’s closed six years before.
Looters tried to break in Monday but the store’s security guards, with reinforcement from police , fended them off before they caused serious damage, Jakubowski said. On Wednesday, close to 500 volunteers gathered to help clean up the store.
“The way the community has stepped up to support their store is something I have never seen before,” Jakubowski said. “So many people are depending on us because they really need us.” Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
4:03 p.m.: Activists call for investigation into how Chicago police handled George Floyd protests
Activist groups have asked the court-appointed monitor overseeing reforms to the Chicago Police Department to investigate and report on allegations that officers abused protesters who flooded the streets last weekend to decry police mistreatment of African Americans.
Advertisement
The groups also want the monitor, former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey, to require the city to discourage officers from arresting protesters. The letter to Hickey, who is overseeing a consent decree that mandates broad changes to the troubled police force, also complains of protesters being detained without contact with lawyers and asks her to establish a process for attorneys to communicate with arrested clients.
In the letter sent Thursday, Sheila Bedi, a Northwestern University law professor who is among the attorneys for the groups, wrote: “Clearly, the consent decree entirely failed to provide any meaningful protection to the people of Chicago against CPD violence during the recent protests.”
“If the independent monitoring team fails to take decisive, urgent action at this moment, the consent decree will be a historic failure,” the letter states. Read more here. —Dan Hinkel
3:56 p.m.: Lightfoot says Brickyard incident is under investigation, rejects calls to defund police: ‘It would be irresponsible’
Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined Thursday to comment on video from the Brickyard Mall where an officer kneeled on a woman, saying it’s an ongoing investigation, but promised that the police oversight agency investigating “is doing everything it can to identify the officers, and then make an appropriate recommendation.”
“I don’t want to get ahead and I’m not the head of (the Civilian Oversight Police Authority). I’m the mayor and I want COPA to be doing its job, but doing it independently,” she said. “They have to call balls and strikes. I mean, of course I have my own personal opinion about it, but I’m not going to share it, because I don’t want to influence what COPA’s work is, they’ve got to, they have the jurisdiction and the mandate, and more importantly they have my full support to do their job, independently.“
Lightfoot said it isn’t easy to identify officers in a “grainy video” but they are being investigated and once they’re identified they’ll be reported to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown.
Advertisement
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx released a statement Thursday afternoon saying that her office was conducting its own review of the incident.
“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is committed to public safety and pursuing the fair administration of justice for everyone in our communities. We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough, independent review of the matter, including the conduct of the police officers involved. We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney," the statement said.
The mayor, meanwhile, rejected calls from some progressive aldermen such as Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd, to defund the police department.
“I don’t think that’s an appropriate action at this time. I think that the people in our neighborhoods want and have been begging for more police support,” she said. “In light of what’s happened over the last couple days, it would be irresponsible for me to even entertain any idea that we would cut back on our public safety resources at this time.“
Lightfoot again reiterated her support for some civilian oversight of police but noted that there remain “a final few issues” her administration is stuck on with activists.
“It’s my hope that we’ll be able to break the logjam and move forward,” she said. —Gregory Pratt
Advertisement
3:44 p.m.: More than 400 protesters — many of them students — march through Grayslake
More than 400 protesters marched through the streets of Grayslake Thursday afternoon, decrying racism and police actions in the deaths of African Americans in several recent tragedies nationwide.
Chanting the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Laquan McDonald, the crowd stretched about a half mile and shut down Illinois Route 83 and the entrance to the College of Lake County.
Many of the protesters were students from local schools. They many wore red shirts, carried signs reading, “Black Lives Matter,“ and chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”
“I’m out here because I’m tired of seeing people who look like me getting killed across the country,“ said Jeremy Glende, 21, of Gurnee.
Protesters were trying to broaden the focus, he said, from just one incident to many.
Harper Fischer, a social studies teacher at Grayslake North High School, said she joined the crowd because, “I feel I can’t look my students in the face and tell them they’re safe in America.“ —Robert McCoppin
Advertisement
3:04 p.m.: Family seeks criminal investigation after they say Chicago cops pulled woman from car by hair and placed knee on her neck
The family of a woman who says Chicago police pulled her from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck demanded a criminal investigation into the officers Thursday.
“I didn’t do anything,” Mia Wright, 25, said at a news conference in the parking lot of Brickyard Mall, where she said the officers surrounded her car, broke the windows with clubs and pulled her to the ground on Sunday.
“I was trying to get out with my hands up. They continue to break the window, and before you know it I was being pulled out of the vehicle, pulled by my hair,” Wright said, crying. “The officer grabbed me. I had my hair tied in a bun. He grabbed me by the top of my bun and pulled me out of the vehicle. And that is when they threw me on the ground, and he proceeded to put his knee in my neck.” Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
2:50 p.m.: Mayor Lori Lightfoot denounces vigilantism in Chicago after white men patrol Bridgeport streets with bats
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will not tolerate vigilantism after groups of mostly white men patrolled the streets of Bridgeport on Wednesday night in response to a nearby city protest.
Multiple streets were blocked in the Bridgeport neighborhood Wednesday night as nearby protests dispersed. Near West 39th Street, water hurled from an open fire hydrant as small groups gathered on corners. Some of the men held bats. One wore a shirt that said “All Lives Matter,” one sipped a beer and another waved at an officer as he drove by. Additional groups of people, some armed with bats, lined West 31st Street.
Asked about the situation in Bridgeport, a diversifying neighborhood that served as an Irish-American power base for the Daley political family, Lightfoot said, “It is absolutely not appropriate for people to take up arms, bats, pipes, whatever in patrolling neighborhoods.”
Advertisement
“We’ve seen that end with tragic results across the country and we’re not about to allow that practice to happen here in Chicago. If there’s an issue, call 911,” Lightfoot said. “I absolutely support neighbors being vigilant as to what’s going on on the streets and in their blocks but taking up arms, that leads to chaos and we’re not supporting vigilantism in the city of Chicago under any circumstances.”
The situation in Bridgeport frightened and angered many residents and activists who expressed concerns about racism and violence. — Gregory Pratt and Morgan Greene
2:47 p.m.: Illinois AG Kwame Raoul among attorneys general asking Congress for broader authority to investigate policing
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of state legal officers in urging Congress to give them broader authority to investigate “unconstitutional policing,” his office said Thursday.
The letter to congressional leaders from Raoul and 17 other attorneys general asks for an expansion of the law enforcement misconduct section of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, enacted three years after Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers.
“Once again, our nation has been called to reckon with police brutality against black people in this country and the systemic failures that cause and allow this misconduct to perpetuate,” the letter states. “Many members of the public have no trust in the police, with tensions visible in the streets across this nation. Urgent action is necessary at all levels of government to remedy the injustice of police misconduct.” Read more here. —Jamie Munks
2:11 p.m.: Kanye West launches college fund for George Floyd’s daughter, reveals $2 million in additional donations
It’s been nearly 10 days since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hand of a Minneapolis police officer, during which time massive protests against police violence have taken place across the country. But while tens of thousands have taken to the streets to express their anger at the systemic racism that has gripped the United States, the usually vocal Kanye West has been surprisingly quiet.
Advertisement
Today the rapper revealed via a representative that he has donated $2 million so far to charities associated with Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd and has set up a college fund to cover tuition for Floyd’s 6-year-old daughter Gianna. In addition, the rapper has pledged to cover legal costs for the Arbery and Taylor families. And in his hometown of Chicago, he’ll also be aiding black-owned businesses with financial contributions. Read more here. —Variety
1:47 p.m.: Judge sets bail at $750,000 each for 3 former Minneapolis police officers accused of aiding and abetting in death of George Floyd
A judge set bail at $750,000 apiece Thursday for three fired Minneapolis police officers who have been charged with aiding and abetting in the killing of George Floyd.
Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng were making their first appearances in Hennepin County District Court since their arrests Wednesday.
The Minneapolis Police Department fired them last week, along with Derek Chauvin, who is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25 death. Widely seen bystander video shows the white police officer pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck, ignoring the African American man’s pleas that he can’t breathe, until he stopped moving. Read more here. —Associated Press
1:34 p.m.: Even with much of downtown reopened, some bridges still up
Even as much of downtown has been reopened and transit service has resumed, several city bridges downtown and on the South Side remained closed Thursday afternoon, according to the city.
Bridges at Michigan and Wabash avenues, as well as State, Van Buren, Jackson, Adams and Franklin streets and at 92nd Street remained closed, according to the city. —Chicago Tribune staff
Advertisement
Notify Chicago: Bridges remain closed at Van Buren, Jackson, Adams, Monroe, Michigan, Wabash, State, Franklin and 92nd Street. Seek alternate routes. — Chicago OEMC (@ChicagoOEMC) June 4, 2020
12:10 p.m.: Illinois expands COVID-19 testing to all and urges those who participated in protests to get tested
Testing for the new coronavirus is now available in Illinois to anyone who wants it — regardless of symptoms — at nearly a dozen state-run testing sites, state public health officials said Thursday.
The availability of on-demand testing was a key component of moving from phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, which began May 29, to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
The expansion of free testing to anyone, without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor’s order, comes as more businesses have opened and as thousands have taken to the streets in recent days to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
The state is encouraging anyone who has participated in mass gatherings to get tested. Read more here. —Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks
9:06 a.m.: Pastors call on Joliet mayor to resign following viral video of protest skirmish, cite previous disciplinary action from his work as a cop years ago
Three local pastors have called for Joliet Mayor Robert O’Dekirk’s resignation in the wake of a skirmish between the mayor, who is white, and an African American protester that was captured on a video that has gone viral as the Chicago area and nation reel from unrest over issues of racial injustice.
The video, which surfaced Tuesday, depicts a chaotic scene where police are dispersing a crowd of demonstrators who had gathered along Jefferson Street in Joliet in protest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Advertisement
O’Dekirk, a former Joliet police officer, appears to grab a protester by the collar and forcibly walk him backward to a police vehicle. The two then fall to the ground when another man appears to jump on O’Dekirk from behind.
O’Dekirk said he would not resign or apologize, and has maintained that he was acting in self-defense. Read more here. —Angie Leventis Lourgos and Alicia Fabbre
8:08 a.m.: Witness who was in car says George Floyd didn’t resist arrest: ‘I’m going to always remember seeing the fear in Floyd’s face’
A longtime friend of George Floyd’s who was in the passenger seat of Floyd’s car during his fatal encounter with a Minneapolis police officer said Wednesday night that Floyd tried to defuse the tensions with police and in no way resisted arrest.
“He was, from the beginning, trying in his humblest form to show he was not resisting in no form or way,” said the friend, Maurice Lester Hall, 42, who was tracked down Monday in Houston, arrested on outstanding warrants and interviewed by Minnesota state investigators.
“I could hear him pleading, ‘Please, officer, what’s all this for?’ ” Hall said in an interview Wednesday night with The New York Times.
Hall recounted the last moments with Floyd on Memorial Day, May 25, after they had spent part of the day together. Read more here. —The New York Times
Advertisement
5:25 a.m.: Peeking out from behind plywood, nervous Chicago stores and restaurants weigh getting back into business
When Chicago announced last week its intention to reopen the city Wednesday, its leaders did not anticipate servers emerging with cold drinks and hot plates of food from behind boarded-up windows.
But that — along with nervous shoppers finding narrow entry corridors through back doors and between shattered glass — was the bittersweet mix of cautious optimism and painful reality that greeted the resumption of Chicago’s retail and dining operations from 75th Street to the Southport Corridor, as modified for a coronavirus-scarred reality that had collided with the fallout from the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Read more here. —Chris Jones, Adam Lukach, Grace Wong, Nick Kindelsperger, Kasondra Van Treeck, Lauren Zumbach and Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
5:20 a.m.: Police investigating alleged racial insult and physical altercation outside River Forest grocery store
River Forest police are investigating after a woman posted a video on social media claiming a man made a racial insult and then scuffled with her.
The incident took place at about 10 a.m. Wednesday in the parking lot of a Jewel store at 7525 W. Lake St. in the western suburb, police said.
In the video, the woman says the man called her a “black b----”, among other insults, while in line at a nearby coffee shop, and asks the man, “Do you have anything to say for yourself now?” Read more here. —Steve Schering
5:15 a.m.: Why Chicago Police Department reform moves slowly despite cries for immediate change
After days of street protests urgently calling for changes in the way police treat African Americans, Mayor Lori Lightfoot lamented in a televised speech this week that “the process of reform has been too slow.”
Advertisement
Indeed, it took decades to even get to the starting line of reforming the historically troubled Chicago Police Department. The police union strongly pushed back, and politicians disagreed on the need for significant change. Overhauling the nation’s second-largest police force is a task of daunting scope. Now, a pandemic stands to slow reforms further.
While Lightfoot promised a handful of prompt adjustments, what she listed largely involved educational and support programs for officers, rather than policy changes to guide the police conduct that has driven protests. She also made a vague call for training efforts that appear similar to some already contained in the federal court order governing department operations. Read more here. —Dan Hinkel
5 a.m.: Family alleges brutal police restraint with knee on neck in Chicago arrest caught on video
Tnika Tate said she was parking near a looted mall Sunday when Chicago police surrounded the vehicle, broke the windows and searched Tate and a group of four friends and relatives in the car with her.
Tate, 39, said an officer restrained her cousin Mia Wright, 25, by placing a knee on Wright’s neck while she was prone on the ground. Wright was charged with disorderly conduct and released Monday, according to police and the family.
A video of part of the incident was taken by family friend James Smith, 40, who was driving in a second car. A copy of the video was first published by the nonprofit digital news organization Block Club Chicago, and Smith provided the Tribune with a copy later Wednesday. Read more here. —David Jackson


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Police killing of George Floyd amplifies calls to remove school resource officers from Chicago Publi

Police killing of George Floyd amplifies calls to remove school resource officers from Chicago Public Schools: ‘We don’t need more cops.’

But Drake D. Booker , who was president of Bogan High School ’ s LSC for four years until last @ @ @ @ @ can build rapport with students and are equipped to handle situations like fights in ways @ @ @ @ @ If a student indicated feeling less safe with an officer in a school , he @ @ @ @ @ their comment into consideration .
Maybe a particular officer isn ’ t a good fit @ @ @ @ @ police presence can safeguard students , Booker said .

Protesters dance and play music outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle's home as a virtual school board meeting takes place on June 24, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Outrage over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis is fueling a local push to get police officers out of Chicago Public Schools buildings.
Since Floyd’s death, the Minneapolis Board of Education has ended its contract with the local police department. Pressure is mounting for school districts nationwide to follow suit, a movement that was already underway in Chicago.
Advertisement
Among the demands heard at protests this week, particularly among CPS students, is for the district to nullify the $33 million contract it entered into with the Chicago Police Department in August for school resource officers in CPS buildings.
The only board member to vote against it was Elizabeth Todd-Breland, who cited research showing that having police in schools often contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline, which disproportionately affects students of color.
Advertisement
High school senior Diego Garcia, who lives in Brighton Park, cited the same concern when he spoke out against school resource officers.
“The city of Chicago should be investing that money ... in our communities. They should be investing that money in after-school programs and mental health resources," said Garcia, 18. “We don’t need more cops. At the end of the day we are just being set up for the school-to-prison pipeline.”
Chicago police officers stand guard outside the police training academy on West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago as a large group of people protesting against police in Chicago Public Schools arrive on a march from Lincoln Park on June 4, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot threw cold water on the idea of defunding police in schools.
“Yeah, we’re not gonna do that,” she said during a news conference in response to a question.
Lightfoot said she understands the concern about police in schools, but thinks the city has struck the right balance.
"Unfortunately, we need security in our schools," Lightfoot said. "We spent a lot of time a year ago working through challenges that we'd seen with police officers in schools. I think we've got a very good track record this school year making sure that CPS is in control, that officers are there for a limited purpose, but CPS personnel will deal with front-facing issues regarding students."
Yet outside the closed Zenos Colman Elementary School on the South Side Thursday evening, a few hundred people gathered to call for the removal of Chicago police from public schools.
Protesters held signs with messages like “Counselors Not Cops” and “No more CPD in CPS.” Organizers walked around with hand sanitizer and water bottles. The crowd cheered “Books, not cops” as students shared stories about the possibilities of what the cost of the police contract could instead fund.
Advertisement
Michelle Yisrael, a nearby resident, said she came to the gathering because most of the men in her life, including her adult sons, have had problems with police. “And also I am an educator, and I never thought it was OK for the Chicago Police Department to be in the high schools. That’s never been OK with me.
The Police Department is currently reviewing its policies for school resource officers, who are assigned to 77% of CPS-run high schools, according to the district. The contract already includes several reforms to the way police are trained and involved with schools, a shift from reactive enforcement to proactive intervention.
Also new this school year, the district empowered elected local school councils to choose whether they want school resource officers and to have principals help choose them.
District-hired security officers are supposed to be the first point of contact in most cases, and police are only supposed to get involved when a crime has been committed or if there’s a serious, imminent safety threat — not for ordinary disciplinary matters.
Lane Tech computer science teacher Charity Freeman recently asked her students if the presence of police in their school made them feel safe or anxious. Though the majority of students said the police made them feel anxious, the ratio was much higher among students of color.
During one class discussion, an African American student asked: “What are they keeping us safe from? Are they protecting us from ourselves?”
Advertisement
“From an African American male who lives in an over-policed community, that makes a whole bunch of sense,” Freeman said.
But Drake Booker, who was president of Bogan High School’s LSC for four years until last spring, said school-based officers can build rapport with students and are equipped to handle situations like fights in ways teachers can’t. If a student indicated feeling less safe with an officer in a school, he would ask why and take their comment into consideration. Maybe a particular officer isn’t a good fit for the school, but police presence can safeguard students, Booker said.
“I believe the officers in each facility should reflect the communities they serve,” he said. “Not from a standpoint that all white officers or non-black or brown officers are racist, but there is a degree to not being able to relate. … They know how to interact with that population of students. They’re not afraid.”
Regardless, he said the most important thing is for the officer to show compassion and empathy to their students’ situations rather than just being an enforcer.
Booker said he’s still in touch with one of the CPD officers who was assigned to Simeon High School when he was a student there. “He was very instrumental in my becoming a man, just the relationship that he formed with students.".”
A social studies teacher at Kenwood Academy, Dave Stieber, said the discussion around police in schools should focus on research, not anecdotes.
Advertisement
Growing up, Stieber, who is white, always thought police were there to keep everyone safe. But his first week teaching at a South Side school nearly 13 years ago, a student started opening up to him about his experience with police.
“It opened my eyes a little bit,” Stieber said. “Learning history, teaching history, having students share their own experiences and stories, made me think about policing in general and why we have police in our schools.”
In a recent editorial in the Chicago Reporter, Stieber wrote that it feels disingenuous to him when educators get upset when police kill a black person, but are OK with police in schools.
“We need to internalize the research that police in schools harm kids instead of internalizing racism,” he wrote.
The district’s chief of safety and security, Jadine Chou, said feedback from students, families and others has been valuable.
“We remain committed to continued engagement and dialogue about the role of School Resource Officers," Chou said in a statement. “Last summer, the district empowered Local School Councils to determine if SROs would be assigned to their schools because we firmly believe that elected local leaders are best suited to make these decisions for their own communities.”
Advertisement
When the matter came before the Benito Juarez Community Academy council in August, members present unanimously approved keeping officers in the Pilsen high school. The vote was also unanimous at Morgan Park High School, in the far southern neighborhood it’s named after.
But at some schools, the votes were mixed.
Advertisement
At Back of the Yards College Prep, teacher and LSC member Hallie Trauger abstained during her council’s vote. As a representative, she tries to reflect the views of other teachers, and though many were in favor, some — herself included — had serious concerns.
“I think more systemically, what our schools need are counselors, mental health supports, resources that can help young people deal with conflict and trauma in a healthy way,” Trauger said.
Two white officers are assigned to the majority-Latino school, a fact that she said has come up before.
Officers assigned to CPS schools lacked proper training and faced little accountability, according to a 2017 report by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. Between 2012 and 2016, CPS paid more than $2 million in misconduct settlements for police assigned to schools, according to the report.
Concerns about police in schools were also raised in the 2017 U.S. Department of Justice report on the Chicago Police Department, and addressed in the ensuing consent decree.
District officials said they’re continuing to solicit feedback, including a survey this spring sent to students, staff, administrators and LSC members. CPD is also starting a working group to review this feedback on its policy and make a recommendation for changes.
Advertisement
The controversy isn’t likely to die down anytime soon. The Chicago Teachers Union planned a caravan protest Saturday “to demand that CPS change its distorted priorities and fund student needs instead of cops in our schools.”
The Chicago Tribune’s Jessica Villagomez contributed.
hleone@chicagotribune.com
mgreene@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Activists call on court monitor to investigate how Chicago police handled George Floyd protests

In the new letter , one of the activist groups ’ demands was the use of alternatives to arrest , @ @ @ @ @ protest-related charges.
” The letter came with an attachment listing the groups ’ prior recommendation @ @ @ @ @ cops generally to get a supervisor ’ s sign-off before arresting anyone on charges of @ @ @ @ @ an officer , disorderly conduct or a host of other offenses .
The activists recommended @ @ @ @ @ on arrests and more on routing people to other social programs , such as mental @ @ @

Chicago police officers and protesters push against each other near the Trump International Hotel & Tower on May 30, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Activist groups have asked the court-appointed monitor overseeing reforms to the Chicago Police Department to investigate and report on allegations that officers abused protesters who flooded the streets last weekend to decry police mistreatment of African Americans.
The groups also want the monitor, former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey, to require the city to discourage officers from arresting protesters. The letter to Hickey, who is overseeing a consent decree that mandates broad changes to the troubled police force, also complains of protesters being detained without contact with lawyers and asks her to establish a process for attorneys to communicate with arrested clients.
Advertisement
In the letter sent Thursday, Sheila Bedi, a Northwestern University law professor who is among the attorneys for the groups, wrote: “Clearly, the consent decree entirely failed to provide any meaningful protection to the people of Chicago against CPD violence during the recent protests.”
“If the independent monitoring team fails to take decisive, urgent action at this moment, the consent decree will be a historic failure,” the letter states.
Advertisement
A hearing by telephone in the federal court case is scheduled for Friday morning.
A spokeswoman for Hickey’s monitoring team declined to comment, citing the rule in the consent decree that limits the monitor’s public statements. A spokeswoman for the city Law Department could not be reached for comment.
Annie Thompson, a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, whose office is a party to the agreement, said of the request for Hickey to investigate, “We agree that the public has a right to a full accounting as soon as possible.”
The widespread local protests and separate property destruction, which followed the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, led to an influx of complaints to Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability. The police disciplinary agency took in 82 complaints from Friday morning through Monday afternoon, compared with 34 over Memorial Day weekend, according to COPA spokesman Ephraim Eaddy. He noted that the totals included complaints over all matters, but added that agency officials believed that more than half of the recent batch were “related to protests.”
CPD spokesman Luis Agostini said people who felt they were mistreated should call 311 and file a complaint.
The consent decree is one of the most substantive results of the furor sparked in November 2015 by the release of video showing white Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting black teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times.
The footage, and ensuing street protests, led to a wide-ranging U.S. Department of Justice investigation that found Chicago police to be badly trained, loosely supervised and prone to excessive force, particularly against minorities. After then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued the administration of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to force court oversight of reforms, city officials signed a consent decree that calls for changes to training, discipline and supervision, among other measures.
Advertisement
In the new letter, one of the activist groups’ demands was the use of alternatives to arrest, “particularly related to non-violent protest-related charges.” The letter came with an attachment listing the groups’ prior recommendation that the consent decree require cops generally to get a supervisor’s sign-off before arresting anyone on charges of obstructing, assaulting or resisting an officer, disorderly conduct or a host of other offenses. The activists recommended that the city rely less on arrests and more on routing people to other social programs, such as mental health services.
As it now stands, the consent decree encourages CPD to explore “alternatives to arrest” and says the city is committed to them.
dhinkel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Former state representative says feds interviewed him on lobbying activities, consultant fees he got

Former state representative says feds interviewed him on lobbying activities, consultant fees he got from Madigan-connected ComEd lobbyists

Among the payments , authorities suspect , were thousands of dollars in checks written to Kevin Quinn , who was @ @ @ @ @ s political and government team when a female campaign worker alleged sexual harassment .
Quinn @ @ @ @ @ .
Marty Quinn , who represents the 13th Ward , where Madigan has reigned as @ @ @ @ @ The Tribune first reported the checks were under scrutiny in July .

Former state Rep. Edward Acevedo, D-Chicago, discusses proposed legislation in 2011 at the State Capitol in Springfield. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Former Democratic state Rep. Eddie Acevedo said Thursday he was interviewed last fall by the FBI regarding lobbying activities and separate consultant fees paid to him by two ComEd lobbyists with ties to Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The FBI’s interview of Acevedo, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, took place as federal authorities investigated the lobbying practices of ComEd and Exelon and kept pressing forward with a widespread corruption probe that reached from Chicago’s City Hall to the Illinois statehouse.
Advertisement
Acevedo, a former police officer, told the Tribune Thursday he worked as a consultant paid by John Bradley, a former House Democrat from Marion who was a contract lobbyist for ComEd until last November. Acevedo said he previously worked as a consultant in a similar role for lobbyist Shaw Decremer, a former Democratic House staffer and campaign operative ousted from the speaker’s political organization following complaints that he was abusive.
Bradley paid as much as $5,000 a month, Acevedo said. But Acevedo said he worked for Bradley less than a year, an arrangement that ended two or more years ago.
Advertisement
Acevedo said he could not remember the fee or the length of time he received the payments from Decremer, but that a consulting arrangement moved to Bradley once Decremer was booted from Madigan’s operation in 2018.
Decremer had no comment, saying only, “I don’t talk.” Bradley could not be reached for comment.
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Lausch declined to comment Thursday on the investigation. A Madigan spokeswoman had no comment.
Acevedo said he did not lobby for ComEd, but he said he was a consultant for Bradley about ComEd issues.
The Sun-Times first reported that federal authorities issued a subpoena to the secretary of state for all records related to Acevedo, his sons Michael and Alexander Acevedo, and their lobbying firm Apex Strategy LLC.
The subpoena is dated March 23, but Acevedo said he did not know why federal authorities just got around to seeking lobbyist records.
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Acevedo said. “I’ve been out of politics.”
The subpoena was sent by the same prosecutor who is heading up the corruption case against longtime 14th Ward Ald. Edward Burke, as well as working on the ongoing ComEd probe.
Advertisement
The former lawmaker said his sons also were interviewed by federal authorities but had little information to give them. Alexander Acevedo was previously registered with the state as a lobbyist, while Michael Acevedo’s lobbyist registration is current, records show.
The elder Acevedo previously was registered as a lobbyist for state government, though he was not registered with ComEd. The lines between advocating and lobbying can be blurred, but Acevedo insisted he did not lobby lawmakers or government officials for ComEd.
As part of the investigation, authorities are scrutinizing certain ComEd executives and have zeroed in on payments through the company’s vast network of consultants to some individuals to seemingly circumvent lobbying disclosure rules, a source has told the Tribune.
Among the payments, authorities suspect, were thousands of dollars in checks written to Kevin Quinn, who was cut loose from Madigan’s political and government team when a female campaign worker alleged sexual harassment. Quinn is the brother of Ald. Marty Quinn, who represents the 13th Ward, where Madigan has reigned as Democratic committeeman for decades. The Tribune first reported the checks were under scrutiny in July.
Bradley, once a member of Madigan’s leadership team, was among five former or current ComEd lobbyists who sent Kevin Quinn at least $31,000, according to bank records the Tribune reviewed.
Emails obtained by the Tribune showed that longtime Madigan confidant Michael McClain, who is a retired ComEd lobbyist, orchestrated the payments to help out Quinn for “six months, maximum.”
Advertisement
ComEd and parent company Exelon have acknowledged receiving two federal subpoenas. The companies have said they are cooperating but not commenting.
One of the ComEd subpoenas asked for records of communications with state Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Chicago Democrat who has pleaded guilty to bribery and tax charges and agreed to cooperate in the probe.
Several of Madigan’s political associates have attracted scrutiny from federal prosecutors. The Tribune reported in December that federal authorities have asked questions about Madigan and his political operation as part of an ongoing investigation, according to four people who have been interviewed.
The sources, all of whom requested anonymity, said FBI agents and prosecutors asked about connections between ComEd lobbyists and Madigan, lobbyists giving contracts to people tied to the speaker, and city, state and suburban government jobs held by his associates.
Madigan’s most direct response to reporter questions came last fall when he was asked if he is a target of a federal investigation: “I’m not a target of anything,” Madigan replied.
The Tribune also has reported that sources said federal authorities recorded McClain’s phone calls. It is unknown if the FBI listened in on any calls between McClain and Madigan, who is famously cautious about what he says in public and over the phone.
Advertisement
rlong@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Illinois schools can resume in-person classes this summer following statewide coronavirus shutdown,

Illinois schools can resume in-person classes this summer following statewide coronavirus shutdown, Gov. Pritzker announces

Schools should do symptom and temperature checks before someone enters the school , and anyone who shows signs of any @ @ @ @ @ An area should be designated to quarantine anyone who starts experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms and may @ @ @ @ @ up or evaluated , but students are not supposed to be left alone .

Gov. J.B. Pritzker speaks with community members June 4 during an event in the Austin neighborhood. He issued an order Thursday allowing schools to resume in-person classes this summer, with limitations. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois schools, which have been shut down since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, will now be allowed to hold in-person summer school, thanks to an executive order issued Thursday afternoon by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
But many area school systems — including Chicago Public Schools — have already announced that summer school will be held through remote learning, so it’s not immediately clear if such districts will change course.
Advertisement
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday she was surprised by the development and that CPS is evaluating its options.
The order states that all Illinois public and nonpublic elementary and high schools can open for “limited in-person educational purposes" once the regular school year ends. They can also continue providing food and other services, but must follow guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health as the state moves through the third phase of its reopening plan.
Advertisement
Any school that reopens must take safety measures that include anyone older than 2 years old wearing face masks and other appropriate personal protective equipment. Also, the number of people in a space will be limited to 10, maintaining a 6-foot distance between them. Physical contact and sharing of personal items is discouraged, and students and staff must adhere to regular hand-washing and other cleaning and hygiene practices.
Schools are required to provide masks for employees who are unable to ensure the 6-foot distance at all times, and should make an effort to provide students with disposable masks, according to the order.
In response to the order, Lightfoot said Friday that CPS “is evaluating” what to do with summer school.
“I don’t have an answer for you now, but we will adapt as we are able to,” she said. She also noted that, “unfortunately, I heard about this on the news.”
In the next largest school district in Illinois, Elgin-based U-46, some summer programming starts Monday. Despite the governor’s order, summer school will be done through distance learning with no in-person instruction, spokeswoman Mary Fergus confirmed.
Also on Thursday, the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health released further recommendations for the transition back to in-person instruction, with a focus on activities allowed in phase three of the “Restore Illinois” reopening plan, including summer school.
Advertisement
"While Phase 3 allows for the resumption of limited face-to-face instruction, schools cannot yet return to pre-pandemic operation," states the guidance, which was developed by an advisory group of educators and others similar to the process for the state's remote learning guidance.
It includes nearly 30 pages specific to various areas of the schools and activities such as physical education, driver’s education and music courses.
Schools should do symptom and temperature checks before someone enters the school, and anyone who shows signs of any illness should stay home. An area should be designated to quarantine anyone who starts experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms and may be waiting to be picked up or evaluated, but students are not supposed to be left alone.
Local school districts can still decide whether to facilitate the activities allowed in this phase, which include behind-the-wheel driver’s education, so long as cars are sanitized between each use and no more than two students and one instructor are inside at any time.
“We must continue to be diligent in following the required safety protocols to keep Illinois on the path to recovery,” said State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala in a news release.
ISBE has stated it will make recommendations in the coming weeks for the 2020-21 school year.
Advertisement
Schools may serve as student testing sites and can allow summer programs sponsored by third parties to use their buildings, but not playgrounds.
Districts also may "conduct activities pertaining to the legal requirement that schools find all children who have disabilities and who may be entitled to special education services" and offer extended school year services if required by a student's special education plan.
Students with individualized education plans and students who got incomplete grades during remote learning are among those ISBE said should be prioritized for summer services.
Chicago Tribune’s Gregory Pratt contributed.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Cook County state’s attorney’s office says it will review allegations that Chicago cops pulled woman

Cook County state’s attorney’s office says it will review allegations that Chicago cops pulled woman from car by her hair and placed knee on her neck

“ I was trying to get out with my hands up .
They continue to break the window , and @ @ @ @ @ was being pulled out of the vehicle , pulled by my hair , ” Wright @ @ @ @ @ The officer grabbed me .
I had my hair tied in a bun .
He @ @ @ @ @ of my bun and pulled me out of the vehicle .
And that is when @ @ @ @ @ ground , and he proceeded to put his knee in my neck .
”

Mia Wright, 25, who said she was pulled from a car by Chicago police at Brickyard Mall, speaks to the media June 4, 2020, during a news conference in the mall's parking lot. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said Thursday it is reviewing allegations that Chicago police pulled a woman from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck.
“We are aware of the incident that occurred at Brickyard Mall and are currently conducting a thorough, independent review of the matter, including the conduct of the police officers involved,” the office said. “We take law enforcement accountability seriously and have reached out to the family involved through their attorney.”
Advertisement
The investigation into the officers’ conduct is being done in collaboration with the FBI, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Aviva Bowen.
Also Thursday, the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability said that the officers involved hadn’t been identified, but the office recommended the department “either modify their duty status or relieve them temporarily of police power until COPA can further assess the events and circumstances surrounding the use of force,” according to a news release.
Advertisement
The state’s attorney’s statement came hours after the attorney for the woman, Mia Wright, demanded a criminal investigation into the incident last Sunday.
“I didn’t do anything,” Wright, 25, insisted at a news conference in the parking lot of the mall, where she said the officers surrounded her car, broke the windows with clubs and pulled her to the ground on Sunday.
“I was trying to get out with my hands up. They continue to break the window, and before you know it I was being pulled out of the vehicle, pulled by my hair,” Wright said, crying. “The officer grabbed me. I had my hair tied in a bun. He grabbed me by the top of my bun and pulled me out of the vehicle. And that is when they threw me on the ground, and he proceeded to put his knee in my neck.”
[ Family alleges brutal police restraint with knee on neck in Chicago arrest caught on video ]
Mia Wright, center, who says she was pulled from a car by Chicago police, is comforted by family June 4, 2020, after a news conference in the parking lot of the Brickyard Mall in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The use of kneeling to restrain someone in police custody has been under scrutiny nationwide since George Floyd died after being restrained in that fashion by an officer in Minneapolis.
“All I thought about was George Floyd, and it could have been another situation like that,” Wright said. “I have anxiety now. I can’t sleep. I had to go to a doctor. I had to go to the emergency room.”
Wright was charged with disorderly conduct and released on Monday, according to police and the family. Her attorney, Nenye Uche, asked that those charges be dropped.
Wright said she and four others in the car had gone to the mall not realizing it had been closed because of looting. A video of part of the incident was taken by family friend James Smith, 40, who was driving in a second car. It shows the car being suddenly surrounded by police. Officers broke at least three of the car’s windows with batons, according to the video, before pulling Wright and others out.
Warning: graphic content/language. Chicago police surrounded a vehicle, broke its windows and arrested a women near Brickyard Mall in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune Handout)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted that she has seen the video. “While one video does not always show the entirety of an incident, COPA is investigating to ensure a complete picture of what happened,” she said, referring to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
Advertisement
“If any wrongdoing is discovered, officers will be held accountable,” she added in another tweet.
At a Thursday news conference, Lightfoot said COPA “is doing everything it can to identify the officers, and then make an appropriate recommendation.”
Lightfoot said it isn’t easy to identify officers in the “grainy video,” but once they’re identified, they’ll be reported to the superintendent.
Asked if the officers should remain on the street during the investigation, she replied, "I don’t want to get ahead and I’m not the head of COPA. I’m the mayor and I want COPA to be doing its job, but doing it independently.
"They have to call balls and strikes," she said. “I mean, of course I have my own personal opinion about it, but I’m not going to share it because I don’t want to influence what COPA’s work is, they’ve got to, they have the jurisdiction and the mandate, and more importantly they have my full support to do their job, independently.”


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--Illinois expands COVID-19 testing to all and urges those who participated in protests to get tested

The expansion of free testing to everyone , without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor @ @ @ @ @ as thousands of people have taken to the streets in recent days to protest Floyd @ @ @ @ @ more businesses are opening with the move into phase three of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker @ @ @ @ @ Among other loosened restrictions , phase three allows for outdoor dining at restaurants and shopping @ @ @ @ @ .

Dan Petrella, Jamie Munks, Angie Leventis Lourgos

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
State health officials are urging anyone who participated in mass gatherings following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis to be tested for the new coronavirus, and said tests are now available to everyone regardless of symptoms at 11 state-run sites.
“As people gather in large crowds with varying degrees of social distancing, there is cause for concern about COVID-19 spread and outbreaks, especially if masks were not worn universally,” Illinois Department of Public Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement Thursday. “I urge anyone who recently attended a rally, protest, or other mass gathering to get tested for COVID-19 so we can identify any cases early.”
Advertisement
The expansion of free testing to everyone, without the need to display symptoms or have a referral or doctor’s order, comes as thousands of people have taken to the streets in recent days to protest Floyd’s death and as more businesses are opening with the move into phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan. Among other loosened restrictions, phase three allows for outdoor dining at restaurants and shopping at “nonessential” retailers.
When Pritzker announced his “Restore Illinois” plan in early May, the availability of on-demand testing was a key component for moving from phase three — which began last Friday in most of the state and on Wednesday in Chicago — to phase four, though officials later reframed it as a goal rather than a requirement.
Advertisement
Workers handle coronavirus tests at the Illinois National Guard drive-thru testing facility in Markham on May 15, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The widespread protests that have followed the killing of Floyd, who was African American, by a white Minneapolis police officer have raised concerns for public health officials as large groups crowd together for marches and demonstrations.
Chicago’s public health commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, earlier this week urged those who participated in protests or were in other large crowds over the weekend to stay away from people older than 60 and those with underlying medical conditions.
“I am concerned that this weekend not just related to the protests but related to a lot of people gathering in Chicago for a lot of reasons, we may see ourselves take a step backwards down the line here in Chicago,” Arwady said Monday.
“And that’s because COVID-19 is caused by a virus, and that virus does not care what else is going on in the city. Nothing has changed unfortunately related to COVID-19. We still do not have a treatment. We still do not have a cure. We do not have a vaccine.”
State officials on Thursday also announced 929 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 116 more fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 124,759 and the death toll to 5,736 since the pandemic began.
Thursday marked the third day this week that the state reported fewer than 1,000 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19. The first was Monday, when state officials reported 974 new known cases of coronavirus, which was the first time the number of daily known cases dipped into triple digits since April 5, when officials reported 899 new cases. Tuesday’s figure was higher — 1,614 new known cases — while Wednesday saw 982.
Outside experts welcomed the news that the state is making testing more widely available.
"This new expansion of testing is long overdue, as many persons have no symptoms but are infected and infectious," said Dr. Robert Murphy, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Advertisement
He added that testing on demand could help experts understand how relaxing restrictions on public gatherings might impact the spread of the virus.
“We will learn from this, it just depends how many get tested,” he said. “We are still in catch-up mode, nothing more can be done about that at this point.”
The state recommends people get tested five to seven days after attending protests or other large gatherings, or immediately if symptoms develop.
The 11 state-run testing sites were closed Monday and Tuesday as a result of the unrest that followed Floyd’s death. Pritzker said local law enforcement wasn’t available to provide security for the Illinois National Guard members staffing the sites.
In the early weeks of the pandemic, there was a nationwide shortage of testing supplies, and requirements for screenings were much more restrictive.
In mid-May, the state expanded testing to “essential” workers, regardless of symptoms. Before that, only those with COVID-19-like symptoms and those with high-risk health conditions could get a screening.
Advertisement
The state announced Thursday that labs reported results from 22,841 tests statewide in the previous 24 hours for a total of 982,016 since the outbreak started.
Department of Public Health spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said residents from outside Illinois won’t be turned away from state-run testing sites and that the state currently has enough testing materials to meet the increased demand.
More information on testing sites is available at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/testing.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
eleventis@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-04--More than 400 marchers — many of them students — take to the streets of Grayslake to protest racism

The crowd marched from downtown Grayslake to the College of Lake County , where they occupied the intersection at the @ @ @ @ @ minutes and 46 seconds of silence in recognition of the time that a Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ s neck , leading to his death .

More than 400 protesters marched through the streets of Grayslake on Thursday afternoon, decrying racism and police actions in the deaths of African Americans in several recent tragedies across the country.
Chanting the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Laquan McDonald, the crowd stretched about a half-mile and shut down Illinois Route 83 and the entrance to the College of Lake County.
Advertisement
The march was one of many similar events held throughout the suburbs this week that have drawn large crowds.
Many of the protesters in Grayslake were students from local schools. The protesters, some of whom wore red shirts, carried signs reading, “Black Lives Matter“ and chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”
Advertisement
“I’m out here because I’m tired of seeing people who look like me getting killed across the country,“ said Jeremy Glende, 21, of Gurnee.
Protesters were trying to broaden the focus, he said, from just one incident to many.
Sitting in the middle of Washington Street in Grayslake, Lucinda Smetana, of Grayslake, leads eight minutes of silence in memory of George Floyd on June 4, 2020. Hundreds of protesters marched through downtown Grayslake, then headed north to hold a sit-in on Washington Street at the entrance to the College of Lake County. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
Harper Fischer, a social studies teacher at Grayslake North High School, said she joined the crowd because, “I feel I can’t look my students in the face and tell them they’re safe in America.“
Members of Minority Rule, a book club at the school, helped to organize the peaceful event.
This school year, Fischer said, the school started an African American social club called the Black Union, which is open to all students.
The crowd marched from downtown Grayslake to the College of Lake County, where they occupied the intersection at the entrance, and observed eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence in recognition of the time that a Minneapolis police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck, leading to his death.
The demonstrators drew honks and yells of support from many drivers.
Lainey Hutchcraft, 27, of Lake Villa, said her great-grandfather and grandmother were Chicago police officers, and her cousins married African Americans. But when one officer is guilty of misconduct, and the others keep silent, she said, all those involved become “bad cops”
Advertisement
She brought her 1-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, she said, to show them how people can unite for a just cause.
Protesters head east on Center Street toward Illinois Route 83 in Grayslake on June 4, 2020. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
Speakers at the protest made a point of thanking the police for blocking traffic for them.
“The cops back there, we love you too,” said Noah Polk, 20, of Grayslake. “They could take care of us the whole way.”
Grayslake police Chief Phil Perlini said the event was peaceful, though a couple of people needed medical attention due to the heat.
“Everybody was respectful and peaceful, and so were we,“ he said.
While it was hard to hear some of the comments, he said, “Their points do not go unheard.“
Advertisement
In Lake Zurich’s Breezewald Park, a rally organized by high school and college students drew more than 300 people in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest Floyd’s death.
Students from Lake Zurich High School said they wanted to stand in solidarity with black victims of oppression such as Floyd.
They emphasized they wanted a peaceful protest in contrast to the rioting and looting that occurred following protests elsewhere.
“It’s just as important to educate white people they need to use their voices to stand against oppression of black people,“ said co-organizer Zach Richards, 17, who is just graduating from high school.
The parents of 15-year-old Dana Fleming wouldn’t let her attend a protest in Chicago, so she decided to organize her own event. She said it’s important for people with white privilege to “stand up for people of color.“
Isabelle Jordan, 19, said her research showed there was a Ku Klux Klan rally in the area in 1921, suggesting a racist history in the predominantly white area.
Advertisement
Along with students and families, some older residents also showed their support. Octogenarians Beryl Ibbotson and Bill Ditman said they hoped the Minneapolis incident would bring about change.
Ibbotson called Floyd’s death “outrageous and disgusting."
“This has gone on for 400 years,” said Ibbotson, who is originally from England but now lives in Hawthorn Woods. “I’m hoping this will be a wake-up call for everybody.“
Lake Zurich Mayor Tom Poynton said some residents were worried about the rally or questioned why it had to be there, but he reassured them it would be a peaceful.
Activists hold a sit-in June 4, 2020, in Grayslake. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
Hundreds of protesters marched through downtown Grayslake on June 4, 2020. (Rob Dicker / Chicago Tribune)
“We need to do better,“ he told the crowd. “We need to be committed to change.“
And Waukegan parks Commissioner Marc Jones called on those attending to be not just non-racist, but anti-racist, actively working to end discrimination.
Advertisement
The protesters later made a peaceful march through downtown Lake Zurich. Their chants of “black lives matter” could be heard across the lake.