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Chicago’s George Floyd protests carry on for 3rd straight day; Lightfoot claims looting coordinated
Sunday marks Chicago’s third straight day of protests demanding justice for George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee into his neck.
Crowds turned out to Chicago Police Department headquarters to rally Sunday.
Dozens of demonstrators with signs protested while officers stayed on the other side of the street. Meanwhile, protesters also marched through Bronzeville Sunday.
Organizers say they want a change in policing in Chicago and across the country.
After Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Saturday’s peaceful protests devolved to “criminal conduct,” city and state leaders are increasing efforts to stop the violence.
Gov. JB Pritzker activated 375 members of the Illinois National Guard to help with security, and declared a disaster emergency for Cook County.
“That’s not a resource you enter into lightly,” Lightfoot said. “The National Guard has certain optics to it, and they come with a certain level of equipment and presence. We don’t want to squander it.”
Chicago Police Department Supt. David Brown said, “It became clear that the case had been made. This was not a First Amendment protest, that this was a synchronized strategy to loot, burn and destroy.”
Brown called it “textbook escalation of police enforcement.”
Looting broke out on Michigan Avenue Saturday night, with video obtained by the ABC7 I-Team showing stores such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Zara under siege.
Lightfoot claimed that the looting Saturday was coordinated.
“There clearly was coordination. They were clearly listening to our radio traffic. The number of haul trucks that magically showed up in front of stores,” Lightfoot said. “Car caravans that dropped people off, broke into windows and then were hustling the goods out into back of cars. Absolutely it was organized.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Lightfoot’s office created boundaries around the Loop to keep out anyone with non-essential business, or those who don’t live in the area.
But with access to the city’s downtown area blocked, some looters have turned their focus to the suburbs.
In North Riverside, chaos and gunshots erupted at a shopping mall Sunday.
Some alleged looters at North Riverside Park Mall were taken into police custody in the afternoon.
A witness at the scene claimed that people stole flat-screen TVs and other products from Best Buy, Kohl’s and Burlington.
Orland Park police have also reported “events” at the Orland Square Mall, and near 159th and LaGrange Sunday afternoon.
“In many cases, violent actors appear to be using these demonstrations for their own agendas,” Orland police officials said in a statement.
The vandalism and violence prompted Village of Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau to declare a State of Emergency and impose a Village-wide curfew from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. “as a precaution.”
Lightfoot said city leaders will need to make an determination before Chicago can reopen June 3, as planned.
The mayor didn’t release any details on when the reopening decision would be made.
“This is a time for us to unite,” Lightfoot said. “We have to turn into purpose in order to get through this moment together.”
Copyright © 2020 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Source: ABC Chicago
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