chicagotribune--2020-06-06--George Floyd fallout: Crowd estimated at 20,000 people marched to Near North Side; city shutting dow

George Floyd fallout: Crowd estimated at 20,000 people marched to Near North Side; city shutting down stretch of Lake Shore Drive this weekend

For the latest updates, check out Monday’s live blog here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Sunday announced that the 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. city curfew has been lifted, effective immediately. The city also announced that CTA rail and bus service resumed in the downtown area Sunday, a day after a crowd estimated at 20,000 people marched to the Near North Side.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, a crowd of at least 300 people gathered at a Southwest Side park for a march set for neighborhoods where Chicago police officers live. The march, organized by the group Black Rising, was the second peaceful march through the Far Southwest Side on Sunday.
Later on Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators filled Fountain Square in Evanston, some spilling into the surrounding streets and blocks as they tried to socially distance.
Advertisement
[ Tribune photographers capture the protests and unrest in Chicago ]
[ Who are the activists behind the protests? Meet the Faces of the Fallout ]
[ Get breaking news as it happens with email alerts from the Tribune ]
Here are the latest developments:
5:47 p.m.: Hundreds rally for reform in Evanston
Hundreds of demonstrators filled Fountain Square in Evanston Sunday afternoon, some spilling into the surrounding streets and blocks as they tried to socially distance.
Several local groups joined together to organize the Rally to Support Black Lives. More than a dozen people spoke to the crowd about the importance of understanding the history of racism, the need for police reform and ways that people can take action moving forward.
“We’ve been screaming this for over 400 years,” said Jared Davis, one of the rally organizers. “For whatever reason, other people have not wanted to believe us.”
Attendees held signs emblazoned with the words, “Black Lives Matter,” “Defund the police” and “No justice, no peace.” The names of those who have died at the hands of police over the years covered the sidewalks in colorful chalk.
Corey Winchester teaches history and sociology at Evanston Township High School. He talked to the crowd about the need to support all black lives, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. He also called out for white allies to break their silence and step up to join in the fight against racism.
“I did not cause [the fight],” he said. “I did not start it. I didn’t ask for it. Your ancestors did, and it’s the inheritance that we all have. This is yours to help solve.”
Another speaker, Judge Lionel Jean Baptiste, urged people to continue to study and learn about racism and to keep fighting to reform society. His words and the words of other speakers were echoed by demonstrators shouting out that the world could not go back to “normal” after this.
Advertisement
“While we suffer setbacks, the motion forward is the absolute,” Jean Baptiste said. “We are never going to go backward. We’re going to go forward.” — Kaitlin Edquist
5:04 p.m.: 2 black women denounce BLM at deli protest
The third day of protests outside a shuttered West Town deli took an unusual twist Sunday when two black women stood before the crowd and denounced them in the name of Christianity.
“I see a lot of ‘Black Lives Matter,’” said one woman, identified only by her first name, Edmee. “This does not represent me! This is ungodly! Jesus!”
“Y’all work for George Soros!” her friend Bevelyn said. “Y’all doing this for Antifa!”
The crowd — mostly white and Latino — had gathered to demonstrate outside Nini’s Deli after the restaurant’s owner and his brother reportedly expressed anti-Black Lives Matter and anti-gay sentiments.
Bevelyn, right, and her friend Edmee, third from right, argue with Chicago police officers outside Nini's Deli in Chicago during a demonstration on June 7, 2020, in response to the restaurant's owner Juan Elias-Riesco's recent controversial comments. Bevelyn and Edmee went to the boarded up restaurant in support of Elias-Riesco. (Raquel Zaldivar/Chicago Tribune)
The women, who said they had traveled from out of town to support Nini’s owner, stayed in front of the restaurant for three hours, separated from the crowd only by a row of stoic police officers in baby-blue helmets and visors.
Advertisement
They tore down stickers posted on the boarded-up restaurant’s exterior, kicked over cans of spray paint that had been used to write “BLM” on the plywood, and told members of the crowd that their movement was demonic.
“Jesus got betrayed by someone like you b------ over there!” someone from the crowd shot back, inspiring a chant of “Judas! Judas! Judas!” from the demonstrators.
After about three hours of impassioned back-and-forth heckling, the women and a handful of supporters announced they were leaving and were escorted away by police as the crowd cheered. – Megan Crepeau
4:20 p.m.: Marching through police neighborhoods
A crowd of at least 300 people gathered at a Southwest Side park for a march set for neighborhoods where Chicago police officers live.
The march, organized by the group Black Rising, was the second peaceful march through the Far Southwest Side on Sunday.
Demonstrators including a band march through the Beverly neighborhood on June 7, 2020, for police accountability. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
After negotiating a protest route with local police, the afternoon march stepped off from Barnard Park in Beverly.
Advertisement
As hundreds of mostly young people marched up Longwood Drive to a drumbeat of “Black Lives Matter,” some residents like Brenda Carter came outside to wave at protesters. “It’s long overdue,” said Carter, who has lived in the neighborhood of large homes for 25 years.
Organizers are calling for the defunding of police and taking officers out of Chicago Public Schools, in addition to calling for police reforms. — William Lee
12:44 p.m.: Chicago curfew is lifted
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Sunday announced that the 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. city curfew has been lifted, effective immediately.
“I know this time in our city and our country has been difficult for us all, and I’m grateful to our residents for working together to navigate this challenging time,” she said on Twitter.
The curfew is lifted effective immediately. I know this time in our city and our country has been difficult for us all, and I’m grateful to our residents for working together to navigate this challenging time. — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 7, 2020
Lightfoot put the curfew in place on May 30 after a sometimes-tense downtown protest against police brutality wound down and widespread looting and breaking of windows began.
Access to downtown was shut down for days as Chicago River bridges were raised and roads were blocked. The Illinois National Guard was brought in to enforce the road closures. On Sunday and Monday, looting took place in many city neighborhoods.
Advertisement
As Chicago started to reopen as planned Wednesday amid the coronavirus pandemic, many bridges were lowered and some street access was restored.
Then on Friday night, the city again shut down a stretch of the iconic Lake Shore Drive through the weekend to help facilitate protesters, in hopes of preventing a repeat of last weekend’s chaotic civil unrest over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
At the time, Lightfoot said the curfew would continue and the city would hire hundreds of security providers to protect neighborhoods on the South and West sides.
Saturday’s peaceful protest drew an estimated 20,000 people, who marched from Union Park stretching across at least seven city blocks as they headed north on Ashland Avenue then east on Division Street, eventually ending up on the Near North Side.
Early Sunday, the city restored Loop street access and CTA service. — Chicago Tribune staff
12:26 p.m.: Hundreds gather for peaceful protest on South Side, give away 1,000 meals to hungry residents
A multiracial crowd of hundreds of people gathered Sunday morning at one of the South Side’s busiest intersections for a peaceful protest a week after unrest over George Floyd’s death spread across Chicago.
Advertisement
Starting at 79th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue, at least 300 people walked a mile to a bank parking lot on State Street. Organizers began giving away 1,000 meals to hungry residents from the Chatham, Auburn Gresham and Englewood neighborhoods following unrest that left numerous nearby businesses temporarily closed. The event was sponsored by My Block My Hood My City, The Social Consult, Good Kids Mad City, and D.O.P.E. Youth.
While the protest resembled other peace marches, with participants holding Black Lives Matter signs, organizers also sought to call attention to the lack of stores after looting.
Demonstrators gather for a peace walk on East 79th Street in Chatham on June 7, 2020, in solidarity with George Floyd and families broken by police brutality. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Jahmal Cole speaks to demonstrators gathered for a peace walk on East 79th Street in Chatham on June 7, 2020, in solidarity with George Floyd and families broken by police brutality. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
“Right now it’s almost become a food desert because there’s been a lot of looting and seniors have to travel like 15 minutes for a pharmacy and residents gotta go 20 minutes away to get milk,” said Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City, which leads volunteer initiatives in low-income neighborhoods.
Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th, added that shuttered pharmacies was of particular concern because of the number of senior citizens affected.
“Literally every minute, seniors were pulling up saying ‘Where am I going to get my prescription? I need my heart medication,’” he said. “And it was devastating that I couldn’t give them a definite answer.”
Grammy-award winning songwriter and Chatham resident Che “Rhymefest” Smith revved up the crowd in his calls for equity of security, claiming poor neighborhoods were left to fend for themselves while downtown was protected. Smith told the crowd that he didn’t want to talk to Mayor Lori Lightfoot “as a politician, but like an auntie” whom he wanted to understand was making crucial community decisions. — William Lee
Advertisement
11:32 a.m.: At Victory Gardens, boarded up windows turned into billboards for a theater artists’ protest
At least 100 activists from the Chicago theater community gathered outside Victory Gardens Theater on Saturday afternoon to protest both the George Floyd killing by Minneapolis police and recent staffing changes at the venerable Chicago theater company, located in the historic Biograph Theatre in Lincoln Park.
Prior to the gathering at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., several scenic artists from the theater had used the boards as canvases for an artistic protest.
“I felt compelled to do this because I’ve worked in this theater for years and I’ve been taught about equality by this theater, and I’ve been taught about a safe space,” said the scenic designer William Boles, who said he was one of the organizers. “To see a theater that I respect being silent during this time is very upsetting. There is nothing on their signage. Just empty plywood. And after the events of this past week, artistic organizations who are not saying anything deserve to be called out.”
Several of the peaceful protesters outside the theater Saturday said they were infuriated by the theater’s decision to board up its glass frontage rather than follow the model of such New York theaters as the New York Public Theatre and the Atlantic Theatre in opening lobbies and welcoming protesters with water and other shows of support. Read more here. — Chris Jones
10:52 a.m.: Chicago police investigating protest video where officer is heard using gay slur
Chicago police say they are investigating a video in which an officer is heard using a gay slur during a confrontation with protesters last weekend.
On the video posted to social media, an officer is seen carrying a stop sign and walking toward a police van. A traffic cone and barricade are thrown in the officer’s direction as his back is turned to protesters. The officer turns and yells the slur and curses at the protesters, who curse back. Read more here. — Chicago Tribune Staff
Advertisement
7:50 a.m. Sunday: City restores CTA and street access to Loop
CTA rail and bus service has resumed in the downtown area as of 5 a.m., according to a tweet by Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management & Communications. The tweet says some bus routes may continue to be rerouted due to street/bridge closures. Lake Shore Drive, I-90/94 and I-290 were also open, and all bridges in the loop will be lowered and open by 9 a.m.
NOTIFY CHICAGO: Lake Shore Drive, I-90/94 and I-290 will open at 5 a.m. Also, all bridges in the loop will be lowered and open by 9 a.m. — Chicago OEMC (@ChicagoOEMC) June 7, 2020
6:24 p.m.: Two people arrested Friday for defacement to public property during Naperville protest
Naperville police on Friday arrested two people for criminal defacement to public property during a protest downtown that drew a crowd of about 200 people, a news release from the police department said.
When police developed what they say was reliable information some in the group intended to commit “criminal acts,” police lines were established to help control the crowd, police said.
“As some of the members of the protest group began to actively engage police officers and state their intent to break through the police lines, a lawful order to disperse was given by police command,” the news release said. Read more here. —Erin Hegarty
4:02 p.m.: More than a half-century after MLK’s rally in Winnetka, thousands of North Shore residents gather to denounce racism
Fifty-five years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stepped up to decry segregated housing during a historic visit to the Winnetka Village Green, more than 4,000 North Shore residents gathered Saturday at the same site for a peaceful protest to denounce racism and demand change.
“Stop procrastinating and put action to words,” Alzario Palmer, 20, said in a speech to the crowd. “Let’s do it today, tomorrow and forever."
Advertisement
A student at Arrupe College at Loyola University Chicago, and a 2018 graduate of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Palmer, who is African American, said, “I haven’t felt safe for the 20 years I’ve been on this earth.”
The passionate crowd of students, young families and senior citizens began their march through the affluent, lakeshore community at New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus, pausing briefly at Dwyer Park in the village’s downtown business district before concluding their procession with a rally at the Village Green. There they took a knee to pay homage to George Floyd, the African American man whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide outrage. Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
3:31 p.m.: March and rally ends on Near North Side
The march and concluding rally at a grassy area on the Near North Side ended just after 3 p.m. after performances by several young poets, and continued denunciations by speakers and organizers of systemic racism and what they described as “genocide” by police against African Americans.
Dom Brown, one of the March organizers, told the crowd that the demonstration was just the start and that participants need to redouble their efforts going forward to fight for a just and equitable society for all. He urged people to vote, and specifically called out white participants to confront racism wherever and whenever they may witness it.
“The work starts today,” he told the crowd. “This is our country and we have to take it back.” —Gary Marx
3:23 p.m.: In wake of looting, Chicago to spend $1.2 million on private security firms to help protect businesses
The city of Chicago will spend up to $1.2 million to hire three private security firms to help prevent a repeat of last weekend’s chaotic civil unrest and looting that erupted amid protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said.
Advertisement
The city has hired Illinois Security Professionals, AGB Investigative Services and Monterrey Security “to supply more than 100 private security guards to protect the local retail shops, grocery stores and pharmacies that community members rely on every single day.”
“The new guards are unarmed and solely in place to monitor activity on commercial corridors and notify the Chicago Police Department if any illegal activity occurs,” Lightfoot’s office said in a statement. “None of the security guards have policing powers, but are another set of eyes and ears to support efforts to deter looters. All security officers will wear visible identification.” Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
1:42 p.m.: Police estimate the crowd of marchers at about 20,000
Police estimate the crowd of marchers at about 20,000, stretching at least 7 blocks as it moves east on Division.
Police say so far there have been no arrests or disturbances.
Police are lining the protest route, walking on the sidewalks as marchers continue to chant anti-police slogans and demand justice for George Floyd. At one point marchers stopped, took a knee and raised a clenched fist to protest police killings of African Americans.
Volunteers handed out water and snacks and even provided hand sanitizer for marchers. Onlookers applauded, or shouted “black lives matter” as the marchers passed.
Advertisement
Outside the East Village Dental Center on Ashland four dental assistants in blue uniforms took photographs of the marchers.
“We support them,” said Andrea Hernandez. “They are fighting for the right things.” —Gary Marx
11:56 a.m.: Union Park peaceful and even celebratory as protestors hold signs demanding the defunding of police
The crowd in Union Park, numbering in the thousands, listened to activists, poets and others demanding police accountability and the dismantling of systemic racism.
The crowd, spread out deep over a grassy area, was peaceful and even celebratory as protestors held signs demanding the defunding of police and the end of what they called the immunity for bad cops. "Fund schools, not police,” read on placard. “No peace, No Justice,” read another.
“I want to end indiscriminate police brutality,” said Isaac Narayan, a law student and protester. “It disproportionately affects black and brown communities.”
Among the other demands of the organizers is the immediate release of all protesters in custody, criminal prosecution for all police who abuse protesters, and a lifting of the citywide curfew.
Advertisement
“Power!,” an organizer shouted from the stage. “Power to the people!” the crowd responded.
From the stage, organizers urged the crowd to be peaceful. In addition to speeches, organizers were registering new voters. There was no visible police presence in the park. —Gary Marx
10:55 a.m.: Protesters gather at Union Park
Protesters early Saturday to gather on a sunny and cool day at Union Park for what is being called the “Chicago March of Justice.”
Organizers who identified themselves as Dom Brown and Kay Buzz said they are expecting several thousand people to take part in the demonstration, which will includes speeches by activists and others before a three-mile long march into the Loop.
The demonstration is one of several scheduled on Saturday in the city and suburbs, and the latest in more than a week of protests of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis
Protesters are demanding the dismantling what they describe as a system of racism that “does not allow people of color to thrive,” said Buzz.
Advertisement
Among the other demands are the redirecting of funds now going to the police department to education and other programs aimed at improving the lives of African Americans and other people of color. They also want civilian oversight of police misconduct hearings.
“We want justice for every black life brutally taken by police,” said Brown. Brown said that organizers have not secured a permit for the protest, nor have they coordinated with Chicago police. But they have been in touch with the local alderman’s office and expect no trouble.
“We have the First Amendment right to gather peacefully in protest,” Brown said. —Gary Marx
9:23 a.m.: Hundreds peacefully march on Friday evening to call for defunding the Chicago Police Department
Four friends in a silver Jeep with large speakers in the back and the top off drove along side streets and alleys on Friday, following the route of a protest march calling for the Chicago Police Department to be defunded.
They blasted house music, hung the flag of Puerto Rico off the side of their vehicle and held hand made signs reading “Peace Love Unity” and “Black Lives Matter.”
Protesters on foot danced and cheered as they passed the Jeep.
Advertisement
“We love music so we wanted to give it to the people. Give them something to march to, to keep them going,” said one of the Jeep’s occupants Naitsirhc Gnarly, 22, of Gage Park.
“We wanted to spread a good message of love.”
The protest started around 6 p.m. in Union Park on the Near West Side. It was organized by several organizations including Black Lives Matter Chicago, Chicago AfroSocialist + Socialists of Color Caucus and Right to Recovery Coalition. It began with speakers who stood on the top of metal bleachers, leaned over the railing and spoke into a microphone.
“I need you all to know that it does not stop here. We came here with demands. We didn’t just come here to march. We didn’t just come here to say ‘Black Lives Matter.' We came here to get a change," said a speaker with Black Lives Matter Chicago.
Hundreds listened and cheered in response as vehicles on Ashland Avenue honked.
The protest was one of many in Chicago and nationwide over the last couple weeks sparked by the death of George Floyd while under arrest in Minneapolis. Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video with his knee into Floyd’s neck despite Floyd’s protestations that he was unable to breathe. Read more here. —Paige Fry
Advertisement
5 a.m.: Once again, Madison Street struggles to recover from unrest. ‘I am worried. Hell yeah, I’m worried.’
Ronelle Mustin walked up to African Food & Liquor on West Madison Street, nodded hello to the owner’s son and peered through a window grate that had been bent back into an angry snarl by looters the day before.
The vandals had yanked out the corner shop’s shelves and left the floor carpeted with food boxes and bottles. Electronic equipment was tipped over and destroyed.
“It feels like rage,” said Mustin, 72, a longtime political and social justice advocate known as the “Cake Man" because he delivers snacks to this stretch of Madison. “A misplaced rage. I think a lot of it is, when you lose hope, nothing matters. You know what I mean?”
It reminded Mustin and others on the strip of the riots after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 that struck a heavy blow on Madison Street in Garfield Park, a stretch that had bustled with movie palaces, hotels and a Goldblatt’s department store.
They are gone but Madison is still “the main vein” of the West Side despite chronic lack of economic investment. It’s a busy strip of destination clothing and shoe shops and hardworking business owners who are now facing a new challenge.
This time it's from the unrest after a white police officer in Minnesota placed a knee on George Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes during an arrest, killing him.
Advertisement
“I don’t know which way we go from here,” said Siri Hibbler, head of the Garfield Park Chamber of Commerce. “This is the shopping district of the West Side of Chicago. There is no other area that you can go into that has shopping and retail like Madison and Pulaski, all the way down to Kostner. So we really need some support over here.”
That comeback may not include African Food & Liquor, which has been on the block for 30 years.
“Honestly, we are still thinking about what’s going on," said 24-year-old Ihab Mousa, son of the owner. "We don’t even know what to do.” Read more here. —Jeremy Gorner and Annie Sweeney
9:53 p.m. Friday: Cupich: Chicago-area Catholic schools to include George Floyd death, fallout in fall curriculum
As Chicago and the country grapple with the fallout from George Floyd’s killing, Cardinal Blase Cupich said he plans to use this pivotal moment as a teaching tool for the Archdiocese of Chicago’s students in the fall.
In an in-person interview at the rectory at Holy Name Cathedral, Cupich said the archdiocese’s goal is to have all Catholic school students participate in a discussion about Floyd’s killing and its aftermath.
“I think we need an educational piece in our parishes, in our schools, in our religious education," Cupich said. "And we’re looking to put that together for this fall because racism is taught. Nobody is born with it.” Read more here. —Javonte Anderson


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Obama, Pritzker, Lightfoot, Preckwinkle round out Illinois delegation to Democratic National Convent

Obama, Pritzker, Lightfoot, Preckwinkle round out Illinois delegation to Democratic National Convention

But the party also has moved to adopt remote voting rules for delegates , and Perez last week told Sirius @ @ @ @ @ “ It ’ s not an either-or , you either have a full convention or @ @ @ @ @ .
There are gradations in between , and we ’ re working very closely to @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Former President Barack Obama, center, and then-gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker, second from left, stand with Susana Mendoza, from left, Juliana Stratton and Lauren Underwood during a get-out-the-vote rally at the UIC Pavilion on Nov. 4, 2018, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Former President Barack Obama and Gov. J.B. Pritzker were among 81 Democrats added Saturday to Illinois’ delegation for the party’s national nominating convention in Milwaukee, though what the event may ultimately look like remains in flux due to the coronavirus pandemic.
State Democratic officials were forced to change party meeting rules due to the pandemic to allow for electronic and mail balloting to select party officials and allies to join the 101 delegates elected in the March 17 primary.
Advertisement
Obama, also a former state and U.S. senator, automatically qualified for the Illinois delegation as a former president. Obama maintains a residence in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago despite remaining in Washington, D.C., after leaving office.
Pritzker, too, qualified for delegate status as governor along with the rest of Illinois’ statewide elected officials, its 13 Democratic congressmen and two U.S. senators, and several state lawmakers and aldermen.
Advertisement
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also earned automatic status while Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was added in her government post and as county Democratic chairman.
The delegation will be headed by state Democratic Chairman Michael Madigan of Chicago, the nation’s longest-serving speaker in a statehouse. Madigan traditionally turns over the delegation chairmanship to another high-ranking official, such as Chicago’s mayor, closer to convention time.
With former Vice President Joe Biden having secured the needed delegates to win the party’s nomination last week, delegates who won seats to represent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will also be part of the delegation.
On primary night, Biden won 62 of the 101 district delegates up for grabs compared with 29 that were awarded to Sanders after the former vice president defeated the Vermont senator 59% to 36%. Under DNC rules, another 54 delegates selected Saturday will be pledged to Biden while the remainder will technically be unpledged.
“Donald Trump works to divide us instead of bringing us together,” Madigan said in a statement announcing the delegation results. “It is clear that Donald Trump must be a one-term president, and we need to work harder than ever to make that a reality.”
Just what the Democratic convention will look like remains unknown. Democratic National Chairman Tom Perez has said the party wants to have an in-person presence in Milwaukee. The party already moved back its scheduled convention from July 13 to the week of Aug. 17.
But the party also has moved to adopt remote voting rules for delegates, and Perez last week told Sirius XM host Joe Madison, “It’s not an either-or, you either have a full convention or you have a virtual convention. There are gradations in between, and we’re working very closely to make sure that it happens.”
Republicans also find their convention scheduled a week later in Charlotte, N.C., in flux. Convention operations are expected to continue in that city, but Trump has wanted to deliver an acceptance speech in a crowdlike setting that runs counter to North Carolina’s pandemic regulations. That has prompted Trump and others to look for another state for the convention’s final scheduled night.
Advertisement
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Driver charged with first-degree murder after leading police on an hourslong high-speed chase, bail

Driver charged with first-degree murder after leading police on an hourslong high-speed chase, bail set at $1 million

Oliver got onto Lake Shore Drive , and another police unit spotted his SUV near Roosevelt Road and Columbus Drive @ @ @ @ @ SUV all the way to a parking lot near 108 W. 23rd St .
This @ @ @ @ @ , and Oliver then turned his car around to face two CPD squad cars .
@ @ @ @ @ the car and broke the windows of the vehicle in an effort to remove him @ @ @ @

An officer walks by three vehicles, including a Chicago police squad car, that were damaged while police pursued a homicide suspect near the intersection of North Ashland Avenue and Irving Park Road on June 4, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The suspect in a high-speed chase earlier this week now faces first-degree murder charges for the death of a woman who was killed when her vehicle was hit by a Chicago police squad car involved in the pursuit.
Marcel Oliver, 22, is accused of leading Chicago and state police on a two-hour chase across the city Wednesday evening. The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee authorities say he was driving reached speeds of over 100 mph.
Advertisement
“These are the kind of events that are dangerous to every individual, the aggravated fleeing and eluding in this manner shows a reckless disregard for the sanctity of human life,” Judge Arthur Willis said Saturday during Oliver’s bond hearing, during which bail was set at $1 million in cash.
The 37-year-old woman who was killed was headed home from work and had just stopped to pick up pizza for her daughter when she was struck by the police squad car, according to prosecutors.
Advertisement
In addition to first-degree murder, Oliver is charged with felony charges of vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to report an accident and three counts of aggravated fleeing.
In bond court, it was revealed that the Jeep Oliver was allegedly driving was one of 40 vehicles stolen sometime between May 30 and June 1 from a Toyota dealership at 6941 S. Western Ave.
Prosecutors said on June 1, police observation video spotted an individual hanging out the passenger window of the Jeep and firing multiple shots in the direction of a home in the 10400 block of South State Street.
Officers were not able to locate any witnesses, prosecutors said. A public defender for Oliver said there is no indication he was involved in the shooting.
Following the shooting, police put out an alert on the Jeep. On Tuesday, the Jeep was seen near 108th and State streets, and officers pursued the vehicle briefly before terminating the chase.
The next day, the Jeep was seen in a McDonald’s parking lot at 11319 S. Halsted St., with four men inside. A chase began across the South Side, with officers losing sight of the Jeep several times along the way.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the chase resumed with the Jeep getting onto the northbound Dan Ryan Expressway at 87th Street and continuing on the Kennedy Expressway toward O’Hare International Airport, then going south on the Kennedy, prosecutors said.
The Jeep exited the expressway at Irving Park Road and crashed into a vehicle waiting at the stoplight near Keystone Avenue, according to prosecutors. An Illinois State Police trooper approached the Jeep but could not open the driver door because of damage from the crash. The trooper opened the passenger side and had one arm on Oliver, but he escaped and ran east, prosecutors said.
Advertisement
As officers pursued Oliver, other officers searched the Jeep and found a second individual hiding in the back seat of that car. That person was taken into custody.
At a gas station in the 3900 block of West Irving Park, Oliver got into a sport utility vehicle that had been left running, according to prosecutors. He ordered a 19-year-old woman in the passenger seat out.
Officers and the man who had been driving the SUV attempted to drag Oliver out of the vehicle. A state trooper tased Oliver, but he was able to drive away, heading east on Irving Park, prosecutors said.
A few minutes later, Oliver ran through a red light at the intersection of Irving Park and Ashland Avenue at high speeds, according to prosecutors. A marked CPD squad car with two officers inside was directly behind Oliver, also traveling at a high rate of speed.
The squad car crashed into a Ford Explorer traveling northbound on Ashland. The driver, 37-year-old Guadalupe Francisco-Martinez, was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The squad car spun out and hit the front of a 2005 Hummer, which was stopped at the red light. The driver of the Hummer, a 62-year-old man and two women with him, 29 and 44, were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition.
Advertisement
A 22-year-old officer in the car suffered severe head trauma and remains heavily sedated at the hospital, according to prosecutors. The second officer, 25, underwent surgery for a broken femur and is being treated for lung damage. As of Saturday, both remain in serious condition, prosecutors said.
Oliver got onto Lake Shore Drive, and another police unit spotted his SUV near Roosevelt Road and Columbus Drive. The officers followed the SUV all the way to a parking lot near 108 W. 23rd St. This lot has only one entrance, and Oliver then turned his car around to face two CPD squad cars. Officers ordered Oliver out of the car and broke the windows of the vehicle in an effort to remove him, prosecutors said.
Oliver again drove away, allegedly hitting one of the unoccupied CPD squad cars as he fled. He drove onto railroad tracks in the 3900 block of South Morgan Street, where the SUV got stuck. Prosecutors said Oliver then ran.
Around 10:15 p.m. near 815 W. Pershing Road, Oliver was found trapped in barbed wire atop the fencing of a truck yard, according to prosecutors.
Oliver was taken into custody and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center for injuries from the barbed wire and for treatment of a gunshot wound from two weeks earlier, prosecutors said.
Oliver remains hospitalized and was unable to appear in bond court Saturday. Officers said he is now being treated for a punctured lung.
Advertisement
Public defender Courtney Smallwood noted that Oliver was not the one who hit Francisco-Martinez’s car. She said officers pursued through a red light and did not follow the protocol set forth by CPD.
Oliver has one additional pending case and has one previous misdemeanor aggravated assault charge from August 2016.
ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--After rally in Union Park, thousands of protesters flood Near West Side streets to demand police acc

After rally in Union Park, thousands of protesters flood Near West Side streets to demand police accountability

The demonstration was one of several scheduled on Saturday in the city and suburbs , and the latest in more @ @ @ @ @ that followed Floyd ’ s death .
Unlike downtown demonstrations a week earlier that erupted @ @ @ @ @ the event was peaceful and police reported no disturbances or arrests .

Thousands of protesters gathered in Union Park on a sunny and cool Saturday and listened to activists, poets and others demanding police accountability and denouncing racism before embarking on a massive march through Near West Side streets.
Police estimated the crowd at 20,000, and after leaving Union Park, marchers stretched across at least seven city blocks as they headed north on Ashland Avenue then east on Division Street, eventually ending up on the Near North Side.
Advertisement
Hundreds of police lined the protest route, walking on the sidewalks as marchers continued to chant anti-police slogans and demand justice for George Floyd, the African American man killed by police in Minneapolis whose death has touched off demonstrations across the country.
“Why are you in riot gear? I don’t see no riot here,” the crowd chanted repeatedly at police.
Advertisement
A few protesters were flipping off the police and shouting obscenities at them. “Cowards,” one yelled. The police did not respond.
Before the march, the crowd in Union Park was peaceful and even celebratory as protesters held signs demanding the defunding of police and the end of what they called immunity for bad cops. “Fund schools, not police,” read one placard.
“I want to end indiscriminate police brutality,” said Isaac Narayan, a law student and protester. “It disproportionately affects black and brown communities.”
The demonstration was one of several scheduled on Saturday in the city and suburbs, and the latest in more than a week of protests that followed Floyd’s death. Unlike downtown demonstrations a week earlier that erupted in looting and violence, the event was peaceful and police reported no disturbances or arrests.
The protest was organized in just four days by Activate:Chi, a grassroots group with 20 members based in Humboldt Park, Wicker Park and West Town.
Among the demands of organizers are the redirecting of funds now going to the Police Department to education and other programs aimed at improving the lives of African Americans and other people of color. Organizers also want civilian oversight of police misconduct hearings.
“We want justice for every black life brutally taken by police,” one of the event’s organizers, Dom Brown, said.
Organizers were also calling for the immediate release of all protesters in custody, criminal prosecution for all police who abuse protesters and a lifting of the citywide curfew.
Advertisement
From the stage, speakers urged the crowd to be peaceful. In addition to speeches, organizers were registering new voters.
“Power!” an activist shouted from the stage. “Power to the people!” the crowd responded.
The crowd surged out of the park following the speeches. At one point, the marchers stopped, took a knee and raised a clenched fist to protest police killings of African Americans.
Volunteers along the route handed out water and snacks, and even provided hand sanitizer for marchers.
Onlookers applauded or shouted “Black lives matter” as the marchers passed.
Outside the East Village Dental Center on Ashland, four dental assistants in blue uniforms took photographs of the marchers.
Advertisement
“We support them,” Andrea Hernandez said. “They are fighting for the right things.”
Some families marched with their kids. A few protesters brought their dogs. Many others walked with their bikes.
Retiree Olivia Aguilar said she took part in the demonstration because "what is happening in our country is a disaster. It has to stop. Just because of the color of your skin, you can be killed for no reason.”
The crowd, multiracial and mostly young, ended their 3-mile march by midafternoon in a broad, grassy area where the Cabrini Green public housing complex once stood.
The crowd danced to the music of Solange and Kendrick Lamar, before more speakers took to the stage, where they continued to denounce police brutality against African Americans, racism, economic inequality and capitalism.
Brown told the crowd that the demonstration was just the start and that participants needed to redouble their efforts going forward to fight for a just and equitable society for all. He urged people to vote, and specifically called out white participants to confront racism wherever and whenever they may witness it.
Advertisement
“The work starts today,” he told the crowd. “This is our country and we have to take it back.”
gmarx@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--More than a half-century after MLK’s rally in Winnetka, thousands of North Shore residents gather to

More than a half-century after MLK’s rally in Winnetka, thousands of North Shore residents gather to denounce racism

“ To my fellow students of color in the community , less than 1 % of the students look like @ @ @ @ @ s also important for white children to understand that the rest of the world doesn @ @ @ @ @ North Shore , ” said Bryant , who arrived with her guitar and led the @ @ @ @ @ “ Stand By Me .
”

Special guards and state and local police keep crowd from approaching platform in park in Winnetka on July 26, 1965, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed an audience of 8,000 people. (Larry Stoddard/AP)
Fifty-five years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stepped up to decry segregated housing during a historic visit to the Winnetka Village Green, more than 4,000 North Shore residents gathered Saturday at the same site for a peaceful protest to denounce racism and demand change.
“Stop procrastinating and put action to words,” Alzario Palmer, 20, said in a speech to the crowd. “Let’s do it today, tomorrow and forever."
Advertisement
A student at Arrupe College at Loyola University Chicago, and a 2018 graduate of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Palmer, who is African American, said, “I haven’t felt safe for the 20 years I’ve been on this earth.”
The passionate crowd of students, young families and senior citizens began their march through the affluent, lakeshore community at New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus, pausing briefly at Dwyer Park in the village’s downtown business district before concluding their procession with a rally at the Village Green. There they took a knee to pay homage to George Floyd, the African American man whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked nationwide outrage.
Advertisement
Alzario Palmer, 20, a student at Arrupe College at Loyola University Chicago, and a 2018 graduate of Loyola Academy in Wilmette, spoke of the importance of racial justice at a peaceful protest and rally at the Winnetka Village Green on Saturday, June 6. (Courtesy of Emily Reynolds / HANDOUT)
On July 25, 1965, an estimated crowd of between 8,000 to 10,000 people arrived at the Village Green, where a trio of folk singers joined the late writer Studs Terkel in welcoming King. The civil rights leader was hoarse after delivering five speeches in the city earlier in the day, according to the Winnetka Historical Society website.
“What is profitable to a realtor is not always profitable to a city,” King said, speaking out against segregated housing policies of the era.
Winnetka resident Grace Scullion, 18, a student at Stanford University, said she helped organize Saturday’s march and rally in her hometown, “because people in our community really want to do something.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t take another 55 years of asking people to change,” Scullion said.
Xiah Bryant, 16, a student at Whitney Young Magnet High School and a Chicago resident, shared her story of growing up in Wilmette and being one of the few students of color at her elementary school.
“To my fellow students of color in the community, less than 1% of the students look like you. But it’s also important for white children to understand that the rest of the world doesn’t look like the North Shore,” said Bryant, who arrived with her guitar and led the crowd in a singalong of “Stand By Me.”
“The last 10 days have been so emotional, so she’s speaking from the heart,” her father, Vaughn Bryant, said.
Among the youngest protesters were friends Upendo Linden and Lillian Park, both 6 and rising first graders at Avoca West Elementary School in Glenview.
Advertisement
“I want everyone to be safe, and I want people to change,” Upendo said, adding: “Lillian and I are different colors, and we still love each other.”
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--When can Illinois move to phase 4 of reopening plan? Here’s where each region stands.

With each of the state ’ s four regions in Phase 3 of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s Restore @ @ @ @ @ starts on moving on to Phase 4 , where more businesses and activities are allowed @ @ @ @ @ Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital @ @ @ @ @ depends on a host of metrics laid out by Pritzker .

Chad Yoder, Nausheen Husain, Jennifer Smith Richards, Jonathon Berlin

With each of the state’s four regions in Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, the clock starts on moving on to Phase 4, where more businesses and activities are allowed. The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Pritzker.
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction of the outbreak as well as availability of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to handle a possible surge. There are also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward, where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak.
Here is a breakdown of where each region stands.


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,864 deaths, 126,890 confirmed cases, 1.02 million tests,  10% posit

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,864 deaths, 126,890 confirmed cases, 1.02 million tests,  10% positivity rate for Northeast region

As the coronavirus spreads and local , state and national governments work to contain and mitigate the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 975 new known COVID-19 cases and 72 additional fatalities; Brookfie

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 975 new known COVID-19 cases and 72 additional fatalities; Brookfield Zoo cuts 56 jobs

Saturday ’ s layoffs will include filled and unfilled positions and are an effort “ to scale back operations to @ @ @ @ @ guidance , ” according to a statement from the zoo .
Earlier this week , @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s North side , announced it would cut 18 workers , equal to @ @ @ @ @ .
The park management said it anticipates a budget shortfall this fiscal year of $ @ @ @ @ @ million “ minimally.
” —Sophie Sherry

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials on Sunday reported 867 new known cases of coronavirus, along with 40 additional fatalities. The statewide known case count is now 126,890, with a death toll of 5,904 total deaths since the pandemic began.
On Friday, the state reached a milestone of more than 1 million tests for COVID-19 conducted in Illinois since the outbreak began.
Advertisement
Also on Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Chicago expects to reopen the city’s Lakefront Trail “soon.” The mayor said she’s hoping to announce reopening the lakefront “relatively soon” with a plan meant to minimize crowding and having designated times for activities on the lakefront.
[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Here's where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what happened June 6-78 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Advertisement
2:43 p.m., Sunday: Illinois officials report 867 new known coronavirus cases, 40 additional deaths
Illinois health officials on Sunday reported 867 new known cases of coronavirus, along with 40 additional fatalities.
The statewide known case count is now 126,890, with a death toll of 5,904 total deaths since the pandemic began. — Chicago Tribune staff
2:44 p.m.: 975 new known COVID-19 cases, 72 additional deaths
Health officials on Saturday reported 975 new known cases of coronavirus.
The statewide known case count is now 126,890. State officials also announced 72 additional deaths, raising the statewide death toll to 5,864 total deaths.
10:53 a.m.: Closed by coronavius for almost three months, Brookfield Zoo cuts 56 jobs
Brookfield Zoo will eliminate 56 full-time positions, as all facilities remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The zoo in placed nearly a third of its staff on furlough in April and now joins a number of cultural institutions forced to begin permanent layoffs in response to the pandemic.
Brookfield Zoo closed down March 19 and has had practically no revenue since according to an earlier news release from the zoo’s operator, Chicago Zoological Society. No announcement has been made yet on when the zoo will reopen.
Saturday’s layoffs will include filled and unfilled positions and are an effort “to scale back operations to better align with state reopening guidance,” according to a statement from the zoo. Earlier this week, Lincoln Park Zoo on the city’s North side, announced it would cut 18 workers, equal to 7% of their staff. The park management said it anticipates a budget shortfall this fiscal year of $2.5 million to $5 million “minimally.” —Sophie Sherry
7:16 p.m. Friday: Chicago churches can meet up to 25% capacity or up to 50 people, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Chicago churches can hold services with no more than 50 people, so long as they wear masks and maintain social distance.
Advertisement
The city will allow churches to have 25% capacity or a maximum of 50 people, she said, as Chicago continues easing its stay-at-home restrictions put in place for the coronavirus pandemic. Chicago entered its latest phase of reopening earlier this week.
“We’re going to start there, we’re going to give churches the ability to see how that goes and then we’ll be in constant (contact) to see if we need to make some modifications or adjustments along the way,” she said. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Closed for nearly 3 months due to pandemic, Brookfield Zoo cuts 56 jobs

Brookfield Zoo closed down March 19 and has had practically no revenue since , according to an earlier news release @ @ @ @ @ operator , Chicago Zoological Society .
No announcement has been made yet on when the @ @ @ @

Brookfield Zoo is eliminating 56 full-time positions, as all facilities remain closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The zoo placed nearly a third of its staff on furlough in April and now joins a number of cultural institutions forced to begin permanent layoffs in response to the pandemic.
Advertisement
Brookfield Zoo closed down March 19 and has had practically no revenue since, according to an earlier news release from the zoo’s operator, Chicago Zoological Society. No announcement has been made yet on when the zoo will reopen.
Saturday’s layoffs will include filled and unfilled positions, and are an effort “to scale back operations to better align with state reopening guidance,” according to a statement from the zoo.
Advertisement
Earlier this week, Lincoln Park Zoo on the city’s North Side announced it would cut 18 workers, equal to 7% of its staff. The park management said it anticipates a budget shortfall this fiscal year of $2.5 million to $5 million “minimally.”
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 975 new known cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 126,890. There were also 72 additional deaths, which brought the toll of fatalities to 5,864.
ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--The criminal charges that have emerged in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death have run the gamut

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

Jason Meisner, William Lee, Megan Crepeau

Federal authorities say this photo shows Timothy O'Donnell near a burning Chicago police vehicle on May 30, 2020, in the 200 block of North State Street. (Federal court documents)
The situation in downtown Chicago was rapidly devolving last Saturday afternoon when a young man in a grinning “Joker” mask allegedly walked up to a police SUV, set it ablaze, then sat down on the curb to roll himself a cigarette.
Hours later, a downstate man was arrested in the Loop allegedly with homemade explosives in his car after police said he posted videos of himself on Facebook looting stores and saying he’d come to the city to riot.
Advertisement
On Monday, a 19-year-old father of two was captured running from a looted video game store on the city’s Southwest Side with a loaded .357 Magnum. He allegedly told police he was on his way to loot another store when he decided to hit up the GameStop and get some toys for his children.
The three were among hundreds arrested amid the citywide chaos that gripped Chicago for days, along with otherwise peaceful marches against police brutality sparked by George Floyd’s death in Minnesota.
Advertisement
Both Mayor Lori Lightfoot and police Superintendent David Brown have commended the peaceful demonstrators, while also hinting that organized or out-of-town agitators were responsible for much of the violence and destruction.
But the picture that has begun to emerge from court records in both Cook County and U.S. District Court is more complicated.
While some alleged instigators — including a few from out of town — are accused of taking advantage of the mass protests to sow chaos, the majority of those charged with any looting or vandalism are locals who appeared to be swept up in crimes of opportunity.
They’re men and women; they’re racially diverse; they’re parents, blue-collar workers, machinists, truck drivers. The crimes they’re accused of run the gamut, from violating the citywide curfew, to acting “recklessly” in big crowds, to looting convenience stores, big-box businesses and high-end Mag Mile boutiques.
There also were several alleged attacks on police officers, including defendants accused of punching officers, resisting arrest or, in two separate cases, ramming their bikes into officers. And among those arrested were numerous convicted felons allegedly carrying illegal firearms.
Despite widespread social-media rumors, authorities so far have not publicly tied any cases to organized white-supremacist or anarchist groups.
Meanwhile, there have also been hundreds of allegations of excessive force by police. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability fielded 258 complaints from last weekend to Thursday morning, officials said. Based on a recommendation from the board, Brown on Friday removed two officers involved in the arrest of a woman at a shopping mall.
The nonchalant man in the ‘Joker’ mask
The images of a Chicago police squad car engulfed in flames in the middle of the downtown skyline were quickly broadcast across the nation on Saturday and seemed to some to represent a city that had lost control.
Advertisement
The man in the leering “Joker” mask appeared nonchalant about it all, posing for photos as he placed a lit object in the SUV’s gas can and sticking around the scene — even hamming for cameras — as the car burst into flames.
Timothy O’Donnell, 31, was charged with arson. Federal authorities say he set fire to a Chicago Police Department vehicle during unrest in the city on May 30, 2020. (Federal court documents)
Many on social media immediately saw the hallmark of antifa, a loose conglomerate of like-minded activists that President Donald Trump has blamed, without evidence, for much of the civil unrest across the country and said he intends to designate as a domestic terrorist group.
But when federal arson charges were brought Tuesday against Timothy O’Donnell, a 31-year-old visual artist accused of setting the blaze, that assumption appeared to fall apart.
O’Donnell, who lives in Pilsen and graduated from the Chicago Academy for the Arts, has no history of radical boasting on social media or other platforms about striking against authority, according to his lawyer, Michael Leonard.
Leonard described O’Donnell as a soft-spoken pacifist who spent years traveling the country before returning to Chicago. While he has some minor arrests on his record, O’Donnell is "the farthest thing from a domestic terrorist you could possibly imagine,” Leonard said.
“He’s a big supporter of the police," said Leonard, who plans to ask that O’Donnell be released on bond at a detention hearing on Monday.
Advertisement
In addition to O’Donnell, federal prosecutors in Chicago have also charged eight felons as of Friday with illegally possessing firearms at scenes across the city where looting and violence were taking place.
Among them was Amber Peltzer, who was arrested last weekend after officers allegedly saw her peering from the shattered doorway of a South Loop bar.
The charges alleged Peltzer, who recently finished serving a five-year sentence for an aggravated robbery conviction in Will County, had a loaded handgun in the front seat of her car.
Two weeks before her arrest, Peltzer had posted a message on her Facebook page celebrating the fact that she’d completed her parole.
“I’m officially off parole, DOC can kindly f--- they self now,” she wrote.
But perhaps the most high-profile case to come out of the Chicago unrest wasn’t even charged here.
Advertisement
Matthew L. Rupert at the Knox County Jail in February 2020. (Knox County Jail )
A case brought in federal court in Minnesota last week accused Matthew Rupert, of downstate Galesburg, of posting internet videos of himself participating in the looting and rioting in both Minneapolis and Chicago, including furnishing homemade explosives to others in the crowd and inciting them to toss them at police.
“Light that b--- and throw it at them,” Rupert said on one video shot in Minneapolis, according to the charges. Moments later, an explosion is heard in the video, and Rupert repeatedly yells, “Good shot, my boy!” as well as “F--- 12,” a derogatory reference to law enforcement, the complaint alleged.
On May 30, Rupert posted a message saying he was on his way to Chicago. Two hours later, he began posting multiple videos of himself participating in violent acts downtown, including saying things like, “Let’s start a riot” and “I’m gonna start doing some damage,” the complaint alleged.
On one video, Rupert could be seen entering a downtown Chicago store and searching the empty cash register, and going into a convenience store that had been broken into and putting cigarettes and other merchandise in his backpack, according to the charges.
Several associates were with Rupert when he was arrested, including his live-in girlfriend, who confirmed that he’d traveled to Minneapolis “in order to riot,” the complaint alleged.
Also arrested was his brother, Christopher Rupert, 29, authorities said. He was charged with reckless conduct and disorderly conduct, and appeared in bond court at 26th Street and California Avenue on Monday. A judge released him on his own recognizance.
Advertisement
Court records show Matthew Rupert has a long history of arrests. His felony record includes convictions for theft, gun possession, and fleeing and eluding police.
At the time of his arrest on the federal charges, Rupert was facing pending charges of possession of methamphetamine in Knox County, records show.
Rupert’s social media accounts also show an anti-police bent. After Galesburg police in February posted on Facebook that Rupert was wanted on drug charges, Rupert commented on the post using his own profile, calling police “petty” and “bums.”
“Get a life and stop issuing fake warrants,” Rupert said. “Straight b.s.”
An incident at the Brickyard Mall
On Sunday, Mia Wright went to the Brickyard Mall on the Northwest Side, only to realize it had been closed due to looting.
Mia Wright, 25, who said she was pulled from a car by Chicago police at Brickyard Mall, speaks to the media on June 4, 2020, during a news conference in the mall's parking lot. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Her cousin pulled over the car they were in, and they were surrounded by police, they said. Officers broke at least three of the car’s windows with batons, according to Wright’s family and the video, and pulled some occupants out of the vehicle.
Advertisement
“I didn’t do anything,” Wright, 25, said at a news conference Thursday in the mall’s parking lot.
“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.”
Police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said Wright was placed into custody and charged with disorderly conduct after she was observed by responding officers “assembled with three or more persons for the purpose of using force or violence to disturb the peace" — a direct quote from the city’s disorderly conduct ordinance.
Warning: graphic content/language. Chicago police surrounded a vehicle, broke its windows and arrested a woman near Brickyard Mall in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune Handout)
On Friday, Superintendent Brown relieved two officers of their police powers. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office, which is not handling Wright’s prosecution since it was brought as a city ordinance violation, said Thursday it also is investigating the matter in conjunction with the FBI.
Cash register found in car trunk
Wright’s arrest was among some 700 over last weekend, at the height of the demonstrations and the ensuing mayhem. All week, Cook County bond court was slammed with new cases ranging from the seemingly petty to the deadly serious.
A 22-year-old Columbia College junior was allegedly caught inside Macy’s State Street store with more than $900 in Ray Ban sunglasses and a designer vest. Also inside the Macy’s was a 21-year-old man who only managed to grab a single pair of Michael Kors sunglasses and two cologne tester bottles before officers grabbed him.
Advertisement
At a Target in Lakeview, a 20-year-old man was allegedly caught with a cash register in the trunk of his car.
A 30-year-old man allegedly fled a looted Walgreens, climbed into a U-Haul and then drove away, dragging an officer who reached inside the vehicle, prosecutors said Wednesday. He faces a burglary charge — but Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ripped into prosecutors for not filing more serious charges.
From Friday evening, May 29, to Monday morning, June 1, police in Cook County brought more than 250 cases to the state’s attorney’s felony review unit. The majority were approved; 24 were rejected outright, 45 were marked as “continuing investigation.”
In all, police brought about 50 more felony cases for review that weekend than during the weekend after Memorial Day in 2019. And the number of burglary cases skyrocketed from 7 to 40 compared with the same time frame last year.
The number of arrests far outstrips the number of cases brought to felony review; some arrestees were hit with misdemeanors or ordinance violations, which do not go through that review process. Others were released without charging.
Regardless, the dockets at Cook County bond court were packed all week, each day bringing new tales of alleged looters or shooters.
Advertisement
And some defendants appeared to simply get caught in the wrong end of the mayhem.
On Wednesday, a man who works for a board-up service came through misdemeanor court on a weapon charge after police allegedly saw him carrying a gun while out on a job.
“It’s just crazy out here,” he told the judge. “I got robbed, my truck got shot at.”
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
wlee@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Thousands gather in Union Park to march for police accountability

Thousands of protesters gather in Union Park on June 6 , 2020 , and listen to activists , poets and @ @ @ @ @ the dismantling of systemic racism before embarking on a planned march downtown .

Bevelyn, right, and her friend Edmee, third from right, argue with Chicago police officers outside Nini's Deli in Chicago during a demonstration on June 7, 2020, in response to recent controversial comments by the restaurant's owner, Juan Elias-Riesco. Bevelyn and Edmee went to the boarded-up restaurant in support of Elias-Riesco. (Raquel Zaldivar/Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--In wake of looting, Chicago to spend $1.2 million on private security firms to help protect business

In wake of looting, Chicago to spend $1.2 million on private security firms to help protect businesses

“ The new guards are unarmed and solely in place to monitor activity on commercial corridors and notify the Chicago @ @ @ @ @ activity occurs , ” Lightfoot ’ s office said in a statement .
“ None @ @ @ @ @ policing powers , but are another set of eyes and ears to support efforts to @ @ @ @ @ officers will wear visible identification .
”

A Monterrey Security officer patrols on a bike during the first day of Lollapalooza on Aug. 2, 2018. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The city of Chicago will spend up to $1.2 million to hire three private security firms to help prevent a repeat of last weekend’s chaotic civil unrest and looting that erupted amid protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said.
The city has hired Illinois Security Professionals, AGB Investigative Services and Monterrey Security “to supply more than 100 private security guards to protect the local retail shops, grocery stores and pharmacies that community members rely on every single day.”
Advertisement
“The new guards are unarmed and solely in place to monitor activity on commercial corridors and notify the Chicago Police Department if any illegal activity occurs,” Lightfoot’s office said in a statement. “None of the security guards have policing powers, but are another set of eyes and ears to support efforts to deter looters. All security officers will wear visible identification.”
In addition to the private security, Chicago will deploy additional police patrols along commercial and retail corridors on the South and West sides, Lightfoot’s office said.
Advertisement
Security guards from AGB Investigative Services patrol the Cabrini-Green Homes public housing on April 14, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Protests spread nationwide after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he said, “I can’t breathe.” In Chicago, peaceful protests erupted into violence last weekend as individuals began looting stores throughout downtown. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Last weekend. Lightfoot ordered bridges into the Loop lifted on Saturday, imposed a 9 p.m. curfew and cut off most access to downtown with law enforcement and city vehicles, but looting spread to the city’s South and West sides — overshadowing peaceful protests.
Lightfoot’s decision to hire private security across the city raised concerns from some aldermen, particularly freshmen progressives who said they’re worried about Chicago’s liability if something goes wrong and said private security workers aren’t subject to the same accountability structure faced by police.
One of the companies hired by Lightfoot, Monterrey Security, is politically connected and has faced a series of controversies, including being fired by two NFL teams.
The Tribune in 2018 wrote extensively about the lack of effective government oversight over private security.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-06--Thousands peacefully march to call for defunding the Chicago Police Department

“ I need you all to know that it does not stop here .
We came here with demands .
@ @ @ @ @ come here to march .
We didn ’ t just come here to say ‘ @ @ @ @ @ We came here to get a change , '' said a speaker with Black Lives @ @ @

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)
Four friends in a silver Jeep with large rear speakers drove along side streets and alleys on Friday, following the route of a protest march calling for the Chicago Police Department to bedefunded.
They blasted house music, hung the flag of Puerto Rico off the side of their vehicle and held hand made signs reading, “Peace Love Unity” and “Black Lives Matter.”
Advertisement
Protesters on foot danced and cheered as they passed the Jeep.
“We love music so we wanted to give it to the people. Give them something to march to, to keep them going,” said one of the Jeep’s occupants, Naitsirhc Gnarly, 22, of Gage Park. “We wanted to spread a good message of love.”
Advertisement
People call to defund the Chicago Police Department in a march along Ashland Avenue near Lake Street on June 5, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The protest started around 6 p.m. in Union Park on the Near West Side. It was organized by several organizations including Black Lives Matter Chicago, Chicago AfroSocialist + Socialists of Color Caucus and Right to Recovery Coalition. It began with speakers who stood on the top of metal bleachers, leaned over the railing and spoke into a microphone.
“I need you all to know that it does not stop here. We came here with demands. We didn’t just come here to march. We didn’t just come here to say ‘Black Lives Matter.' We came here to get a change," said a speaker with Black Lives Matter Chicago.
Hundreds listened and cheered in response as vehicles on Ashland Avenue honked.
The protest was one of many in Chicago and nationwide over the last couple of weeks sparked by the death of George Floyd while under arrest in Minneapolis. Floyd, a black man, died May 25 after Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, was captured on video with his knee into Floyd’s neck despite Floyd’s protestations that he was unable to breathe.
The activists Friday evening called out for a reduction in the Chicago Police Department’s budget, which is $1.78 billion. The city’s total budget is $11.65 billion.
They also spoke about supporting Civilian Police Accountability Council ordinance, which is currently in the public safety committee of the Chicago City Council. If enacted, the council would be composed of elected officials who each represent police districts to oversee the police department.
Past proposals to establish an elected board that would have power over Chicago police to investigate and fire officers were voted down by aldermen.
The activists also spoke about taking school resource officers out of Chicago Public Schools.
Advertisement
[ Police killing of George Floyd amplifies calls to remove school resource officers from Chicago public schools: ‘We don’t need more cops.’ ]
Speakers also told the crowd to remember Breonna Taylor, who was shot to death while she was in bed on March 13 in Louisville by plainclothes police detectives who entered her home using a no-knock warrant.
Taylor would’ve turned 27 on Friday. Some protesters held birthday gift-wrapped signs with her name on it.
“Today is Breonna Taylor’s birthday. Say her name!” one of the speakers said.
“Breonna Taylor!” the crowd shouted back.
Demonstrators call to defund the Chicago Police Department in a march that began at Union Park on June 5, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The protest had marshals with red armbands who helped direct the crowd. A few people who held a large black sign that read “Black Lives Matter” led the crowd north on Ashland toward Grand Avenue.
“From the West Side to the South! CPD, we want you out!” the crowd chanted as it began to walk.
Advertisement
Two young girls — Tia James, 5, and Nivea Sandoval, 7 — stood in the front of the sign wearing clear face masks and white shirts that said, “I can’t breathe!” around the neck. They held hands and also held up their fists.
After seeing all the protests and looting, Nivea started having nightmares that someone was going to break into her home and steal her, said her mother, Blanca Sandoval, 35, of Cicero.
“This is part of history,” Sandoval said. “I wanted to show her it’s not all bad.”
The two girls have been friends for two and a half years, said Tia’s mother, Jennifer Hill, 35, of West Pullman.
“I want my son and daughter to know that they shouldn’t be judged by their skin, just their character, and be given a fair chance,” Hill said.
Most of the protesters were wearing masks during the march, while most of the Chicago police officers who walked along Ashland to monitor them were not. Some officers had small containers of hand sanitizer hanging off their vests, and many carried extra hand restraints.
Advertisement
Some guys over here blasting music out of this grey Jeep at Kinzie/Ashland #Chicago pic.twitter.com/JybNEbbriq — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) June 6, 2020
Once the march came to Chicago Avenue, marchers paused for a while, unsure whether to go east or west, but eventually continued east to Noble Street. On Chicago and Noble, many neighbors came out of their homes or leaned out of their apartment windows to get a look at the march or wave at protesters.
One man and a white dog poked their heads out of a window that was covered by a Chicago Cubs poster. The dog barked back at the protesters whenever they cheered.
Lot of cars honking in support at Noble/Superior #Chicago pic.twitter.com/e8JoSP0QFY — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) June 6, 2020
The protesters eventually headed back toward Union Park. Some protesters on bikes would try to get up ahead and then line up their bikes to create a barrier between the officers and other marchers.
One man held up a peace sign to the officers. “Nobody? Nobody?” he said, until two officers returned the peace sign. “OK, the rest of y’all ...” the protester flipped up a middle finger at them.
Over the police scanner, there was a report of someone throwing eggs at officers at Ogden Avenue and Randolph Street.
“It’s going to start escalating, and I’m not going to have my guys sit here and get eggs thrown all over them all day," an officer said over the air.
Advertisement
Chicago police’s news affairs did not immediately have numbers on any arrests from the protest or the number of officers deployed.
Around 8:45 p.m., most of the protesters reached the end of their 2-mile march at Ogden and Randolph.
They all stopped and, like dominoes falling, got down on their knees and raised up their fists.
They were silent for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Hundreds take a knee and put a fist up on Ogden. #Chicago pic.twitter.com/cXkDIoFEWy — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) June 6, 2020
Dozens of officers all stood and watched on either side of Ogden. The only sounds that were made were police scanners, the passing "L" trains, helicopters above and music from portable speakers.
After the moment of silence, the protesters began to disperse. One black protester looked at a black sergeant and yelled, “You’re a traitor!” He didn’t respond.
Advertisement
Some people held up their fingers to let others know how many open seats they had available in their car to transport people.
Daniella DeLuna held up a sign that read, “Black Trans Lives Matter."
“Clearly the system we have now is not working, and it feels like a really important time to be physically present and not silent,” she said. “If black trans lives don’t matter, then the message of ‘Black Lives Matters’ itself is lost.”
The four friends in the silver Jeep, who identified themselves as Naitsirhc Gnarly, Theodore Jimmy Ruiz III, Hector Jay Perez and Manuel Silva Salcido, were able to find a spot by the intersection to play music for the marchers as they left.
“It’s disturbing that people aren’t out here," Ruiz, 20, of Gage Park, said. “We should be out here to show love.”
“(The cops) don’t act friendly," he said. "They act like robots. All of us see these officers did not take a knee in unity with us. They had these badges to be our heroes, but our heroes couldn’t stand alongside us.”
Advertisement
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-06-05--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened June 4 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

Officials planned to make food , water and masks available in the event near Cicero Avenue in Austin .
The @ @ @ @ @ those hard-hit by unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis , after being @ @ @ @ @ the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths .
—Chicago Tribune staff

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
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.
Advertisement
That news came as Chicago continued the process of gradually reopening, though many businesses remained closed or boarded up. All businesses are subject to reduced capacities and tight rules designed to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Illinois saw 929 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, and 116 additional deaths. The known statewide case count is now 124,759; the death toll stands at 5,736. All but one county have seen confirmed cases.
Advertisement
[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
9:33 p.m.: New federal data shows how COVID-19 is ripping through understaffed Illinois nursing homes
Newly released federal data shows that COVID-19 has likely infected more than 7,000 nursing home workers in Illinois, with a fourth of homes complaining they are short-staffed and scores saying they’re low on protective gear.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data, released Thursday, shows that nearly 70 Illinois facilities have reported 10 or more deaths of residents from a virus that’s decimated long-term care facilities across the country.
The data, despite some reporting errors, offers a powerful new picture of how the virus has torn through homes’ residents and staff, with one advocacy group, AARP Illinois, saying it confirms the long-held fears of advocates and families that the country was unprepared.
“The people who are the most vulnerable, whether in nursing homes or people working there, were not protected,” said Illinois AARP’s state director, Bob Gallo. Read more here. —Joe Mahr
5:13 p.m.: EPA orders Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling anti-coronavirus products with impermissible claims
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it has ordered a Bensenville pesticide company to stop selling and distributing products that made impermissible claims about their effectiveness against COVID-19.
PureLine Treatment Systems, which markets its products to schools, homes, athletic centers and health care facilities, said some of its products protect against viruses, including the one that causes COVID-19, but did not get approval from the EPA to make those claims, the agency said in a statement.
The company made false or misleading claims on its website that the products could be used to sterilize a facility, when their approved labeling did not indicate they could be used for that purpose, the EPA said.
Advertisement
Company manager Bob Sullivan said the EPA’s contentions were accurate, and that the company mistakenly believed it was allowed to make the claims. Read more here. —John Keilman
4:28 p.m.: Pritzker says Illinois schools can reopen for in-person summer school classes
Illinois schools, which have been shut down since March, will now allowed to hold summer school in-person, 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.
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. —Hannah Leone
2:38 p.m.: 929 new COVID-19 infections and 116 additional deaths
Illinois saw 929 new known cases of coronavirus Thursday, and 116 additional deaths. The known statewide case count is now 124,759; the death toll stands at 5,736. All but one county have seen confirmed cases. —Jamie Munks
1 p.m.: Navy Pier to reopen outdoor areas Wednesday, including restaurants and boat rides
Chicago’s Navy Pier, one of the city’s biggest tourist draws, will begin to reopen next week after 12 weeks of COVID-19-related closure.
Advertisement
Parks surrounding and on the pier, the main pier walkways, outdoor restaurant spaces, tour boats and some free programs will reopen starting Wednesday, the pier announced in a press release Thursday.
Rides in the central Pier Park and the Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater will remain closed. Parking in the pier garages, typically costly, will be free during the first phase of the destination’s reopening. Read more here. —Steve Johnson
12:28 p.m: Milwaukee Summerfest canceled for 2020, will resume in 2021
Citing “an abundance of caution,” organizers for Milwaukee Summerfest have decided to cancel the major summer event, originally scheduled for June to early July, then moved to September.
The implications of this for Lollapalooza are unknown. The music festival, which draws more than 400,000 revelers to Chicago’s Grant Park is, as of now, still on schedule for July 30-Aug. 2. Read more here. —Kevin Williams
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.
Advertisement
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
9:05 a.m.: 1.9 million seek jobless aid even as reopenings slow layoffs
Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March, a sign that the gradual reopening of businesses has slowed the loss of jobs.
The diminishing pace suggests that the job market meltdown that was triggered by the coronavirus may have bottomed out as more companies call at least some of their former employees back to work.
In Illinois, 46,522 initial claims were filed for the week ended May 30, a decline of 11,741 from the previous week.
The total number of people who are now receiving jobless aid rose only slightly to 21.5 million, suggesting that rehiring is offsetting some of the ongoing layoffs. Read more here. —Associated Press
Advertisement
7:30 a.m.: Pritzker to visit West Side for local elected officials ‘Day of Action’
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was scheduled to attend a Wednesday afternoon “Day of Action” sponsored by West Side black elected officials in the Austin neighborhood.
Officials planned to make food, water and masks available in the event near Cicero Avenue in Austin. The neighborhood has been one of those hard-hit by unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, after being among the Chicago communities with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths. —Chicago Tribune staff
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Wednesday related to coronavirus in Illinois:


chicagotribune--2020-06-07--George Floyd fallout: Hundreds rally for reform in Evanston; peaceful protesters march through South

George Floyd fallout: Hundreds rally for reform in Evanston; peaceful protesters march through South Side police neighborhoods; Chicago curfew is lifted

“ I felt compelled to do this because I ’ ve worked in this theater for years and I ’ @ @ @ @ @ by this theater , and I ’ ve been taught about a safe space , @ @ @ @ @ William Boles , who said he was one of the organizers .
“ To see @ @ @ @ @ being silent during this time is very upsetting .
There is nothing on their signage @ @ @ @ @ And after the events of this past week , artistic organizations who are not saying @ @ @ @ @ out .
”


chicagotribune--2020-06-07--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood


chicagotribune--2020-06-07--When can Illinois move to phase 4 of reopening plan? Here’s where each region stands.


chicagotribune--2020-06-07--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,904 deaths, 127,757 confirmed cases, 1.04 million tests,  9.49% pos

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 5,904 deaths, 127,757 confirmed cases, 1.04 million tests,  9.49% positivity rate for Northeast region


chicagotribune--2020-06-07--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State officials report 867 new known coronavirus cases, 40 addition

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State officials report 867 new known coronavirus cases, 40 additional deaths


chicagotribune--2020-06-07--Chicago police investigating protest video where officer is heard using gay slur

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for the firing of an officer who was photographed giving the middle finger to protesters @ @ @ @ @ new Chicago police union president , noted that in late May , Lightfoot ripped President @ @ @ @ @ to the unrest , saying , “ I will code what I really want to @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s two words .
It begins with F and it ends with U @ @

Chicago police say they are investigating a video in which an officer is heard using a gay slur during a confrontation with protesters last weekend.
On the video posted to social media, an officer is seen carrying a stop sign and walking toward a police van. A traffic cone and barricade are thrown in the officer’s direction as his back is turned to protesters. The officer turns and yells the slur and curses at the protesters, who curse back.
Advertisement
The Police Department issued a statement Saturday saying it “does not tolerate this kind of behavior” and has opened an investigation.
“Any derogatory conduct is inexcusable and has no place in the department,” the statement read.
Advertisement
The statement came after the Civilian Office of Police Accountability recommended police brass identify the officer and issue a suspension while the complaint is looked into.
Equality Illinois said the group believes “in keeping the focus on what the protests are primarily about: Our society cannot tolerate police brutality against African Americans, including queer and trans African Americans.”
“But we want to add, unequivocally, there is no place for homophobia among those who are charged with protecting our city. This officer must be removed from duty."
The video is one of many involving police officers that was shot during protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for the firing of an officer who was photographed giving the middle finger to protesters. John Catanzara, the new Chicago police union president, noted that in late May, Lightfoot ripped President Donald Trump’s response to the unrest, saying, “I will code what I really want to say to Donald Trump. It’s two words. It begins with F and it ends with U.”
In addition, two Chicago cops were relieved of their police powers after a woman said officers pulled her from a car by her hair and placed a knee on her neck last weekend. The action by police Superintendent David Brown came a day after COPA recommended the action as it investigates the alleged incident at the Brickyard Mall last Sunday.