Protest over Chicago teen’s shooting ties up retail district

CHICAGO-Protesters took to the streets in the midst of Black Friday shopping on Chicago’s iconic Magnificent Mile as they continue to make their push for broad reforms in the Windy City in the wake of the release of police video showing a white police officer fatally shooting a black teenager 16 times.

Discussing how Chicago avoided the violence that followed controversial cases of police killings of young black men in other cities, WBEZ’s Natalie Moore spoke to Veronica Morris-Moore, a protest organizer who said, “I think people expected Chicago to burst in flames because the dominate narrative out there is that black people are reckless and we don’t care about our communities or neighborhoods”.

Protesters shut down parts of Chicago’s luxury shopping district Friday and demanded a federal investigation into the police shooting death of teen Laquan McDonald, alleging a wide-ranging coverup that spans a year-long investigation. Van Dyke’s next court appearance is on November 30. Cook county state’s attorney Anita Alvarez said Van Dyke had been on site less than 30 seconds, and out of his auto for six seconds, when he started shooting.

“At the end of the day, I’d rather take my time and get it right than rush to judgments and get it wrong”, Alvarez said.

He says his organization, the Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression, is pushing for an elected, civilian police accountability council.

“We are aware of the various protests happening here in Chicago and across the country”, said Mitchell Feldman, senior general manager of Water Tower Place shopping centre. A Saks Fifth Avenue store redirected shoppers to an employee entrance in the back of the building where salespeople guided them up stairs, through back storerooms and onto the showroom floor.

As of now, Van Dyke is in jail and is being held with no bond for the Chicago teen shooting. His attorney said Van Dyke feared for his life when he fired at McDonald and that the case should be tried in a courtroom, not the court of public opinion.

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Roman Catholic priest and prominent local activist, said he thought Friday’s protest would cost businesses money because the publicity surrounding it would discourage shoppers from even venturing into the area.

Despite the crowds of protesters, and cold and rainy weather, plenty of shoppers were still heading into stores on Michigan Avenue, and seemed to be taking things in stride, at least before the protest really caused any disruptions on Michigan Avenue.

“We have to protest peacefully, that’s the only way”. Emergence of the tape sparked two nights of mostly peaceful and relatively small-scale demonstrations in the city, during which nine arrests were reported by police, the Associated Press reported.

Protesters gathered at 63rd and Cottage Grove beginning at around 3 p.m. Saturday for a protest and march.

Activists in Chicago joined forces downtown on the Magnificent Mile to shutdown holiday spending in protest of the alleged murder of Laquan McDonald.

In addition to protests that targeted retail operations, the Rev. Jesse Jackson led a large group in prayer and a moment of silence Friday in honor of McDonald, who was killed on October 20, 2014.

“Indict Rahm!” the protesters shouted as a brief shoving match ensued.

“Justice for Laquan, which side are you on, justice for Laquan, which side are you on”, protesters chanted. Demonstrators chanted “16 shots”, “don’t shoot” and held banners reading “Laquan needs justice”, “stop police brutality” and “black lives matter”. “I’m an American. I just want to shop”, one woman said as she pushed into the Apple Store, according to Chicago Tribune reporter Kim Janssen.

It has been well over a year since the killing of 17-year-old Laqaun McDonald by Officer Jason Van Dyke of the Chicago Police Department.