Demonstrators protest Laquan McDonald shooting for 5th day

Demonstrators stood shoulder to shoulder in a cold drizzling rain to turn the traditional start of the holiday shopping season on Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile into a high-profile platform from which to deliver their message: The killing of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald – captured on a squad-car video made public earlier this week – was another example of what they say is the systemic disregard police show for the lives and rights of black people.

The Chicago Police Department has settled a civil suit with McDonald’s family for – reportedly – $5 million.

The protesters created barricades in front of Macy’s, Ralph Lauren, the Apple Store, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Zara, among others.

She says she shopped at the Disney Store before the march began and that the protesters don’t bother her. She says it is interesting because she has never seen anything like this in Iowa.

Twenty-seven stores along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile were closed due to the Laquan McDonald protesters.

Once protesters reached Water Tower Place, the end of the march’s route, they linked arms to block the entrances of major stores. “Justice for Laquan. Which side are you on?” and “16 shots” were still more. A spokesperson for the Fashion Outlets of Chicago said their foot traffic is up 10 percent over a year ago, and that it was even busier on Saturday. “The mistreatment of people and corruption in this city, I don’t think it’s specific to Chicago but I’m pretty outraged that my students have to live in fear every day”. They know that there was more to it than what is being said.

Energizing the ongoing protests are a growing number of black community leaders and groups, including the City Council Black Caucus, which says it will seek a vote of no confidence against police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. “It’s the FOP’s job to support him”, he said. One man was taken into custody.

Emergence of the police patrol vehicle dashboard camera video of McDonald’s shooting had already sparked two nights of mostly peaceful and relatively small-scale demonstrations in the city, during which nine arrests were reported by police.

Hundreds of protesters blocked store entrances and shut down four lanes of traffic in Chicago’s ritziest shopping district on Black Friday to draw attention to the 2014 police killing of a black teenager who was shot 16 times by a white officer.

Local NAACP chapters joined the call for a federal investigation into the police department, CNN affiliate WGN said. Mostly the concerns are that the choice to hold off revealing the video was more about politics than it was about leaglese or the interest of the investigation.

Emanuel, a former top aide to Obama, won re-election. “While I take some solace in the fact that some action was finally taken, why has it taken Anita Alvarez and the State’s Attorney’s office 13 months to indict?” We’re trying to help them do what they want to do, quite frankly, and we’re going to do it in a professional manner; but we will not allow criminal behavior, quite frankly.

“Our caucus has vowed to work with other caucuses and other of our colleagues to review the FOP contract to make sure there are tougher policies and sanctions against police officers who do egregious or illegal acts”, said Alderman Pat Dowell. “Furthermore, they have been dishonest about those practices, in some cases even covering up illegal activity”.

“It is imperative that the Department of Justice step in and correct this conduct before there is any more loss of life”, Runner said.

The police chief and the mayor have defended the delays in charging Van Dyke and releasing the video. But the process is also hamstrung by union rules about how complaints are investigated and appealed.

Chants were ample as the main mass of protesters ambled north on Michigan Avenue.

Public access to government records has generated headlines in the nation’s third-biggest city. “Police are the most responsible, the most authority, and must accept the most responsibility”.