Chicago Public Protests Over Teenager Killing to Continue – Advocacy Group

Hundreds of protesters are blocking entrances to stores in Chicago’s high-end shopping district on Black Friday to draw attention to the police shooting of a black teenager.

Many activists have called what happened to McDonald a “modern-day lynching”. What effect the video and arrest will have on those tensions remains to be seen. Some protesters had apparently tried to get into the popular shopping center.

After nearly an hour of holding the intersection, the marchers reversed course and moved southbound, taking to the sidewalks as they barricaded entrances to stores like Victoria’s Secret, Nordstrom, the Apple Store and Disney, not allowing shoppers inside and, in some cases, not allowing shoppers out. The videos showed McDonald’s body on the street after the shooting. “I’ve lost too many little brothers”, he told AFP, then turned back to the police and said “I’m not a thug”.

“People listen to economics”, said protester Chris Lewis as he blocked the door to the Ralph Lauren store on Michigan Avenue.

This time in Chicago, the police coverup failed. But both the police chief and the Cook County state’s attorney deny the Burger King video was altered.

Officials had initially refused to make public the footage and only did so after a court order. “That has to end”, he said. McDonald, who authorities allege was carrying a 3-inch knife and was suspected of breaking into cars, spins around and falls to the pavement as Van Dyke keeps shooting.

“That’s why we’re not having problems that other cities are having, or have had in the past”, McCarthy said before Friday’s march.

“You can not kill our children and expect us to be quiet any longer”, protester Quovadis Green said.

Traffic was shut down for much of Friday on Michigan Avenue between Wacker Drive and Water Tower Place.

“The cold is temporary, the rain is temporary”, said protester Christian Branch.

“We have to stop business as usual until we stop police terror”, protest organizer Grant Newburger said. Today a crowd estimated at more than 1,000 and led by luminaries like Jesse Jackson and leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union, closed down North Michigan Avenue. [But] it’s not just about somebody just getting killed.

Nordstrom, a big shopping department store on the street, was among the stores blocked.

A coalition of young black activist organizations are calling for the resignations of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Cook County Prosecutor Anita Alvarez as well calling for Justice Department investigation of the police department’s handling of the incident.

“See this lovely black lady?” “Without some disruption, there is not going to be any change”. The charges were announced ahead of the anticipated release of the dash-cam video showing the shooting.

This is an exploitation of a situation and once again, Jesse Jackson tries to totally dismiss the black-on-black crime, 433 homicides year to date… and he has the gall to stand in judgement of what he calls a police culture, but he didn’t talk about the culture of the black-on-black crime.

Another peace and justice march will begin at noon on the city’s Southeast side at the Calvary Community Complex at 8108 S. Chicago Ave.

Trotter also insisted McCarthy must lose his job for not moving to fire Van Dyke.