On Sunday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago praised the city's police officers after they handled protesters during demonstrations on Saturday. The official said the law enforcement utilized swift and effective actions after the events became violent. The mayor stated the comments during an interview on Sunday.
Protesters began their movements with a march on Saturday as separate demonstrations near downtown turned violent and led to police officers arresting two dozen people. The incidents also resulted in 17 police and at least two protesters injured.
Hidden agitators
According to Fox News, the Chicago mayor said that there had been several agitators who disguised themselves as peaceful protesters to try and start a fight with police officers. Lightfoot added the encounters were relatively short due to the swift response of officers.
David Brown, the Chicago Police Department Superintendent, said that some people in the group hid themselves behind black umbrellas to avoid police identification and later pushed and attacked officers.
One video footage from the Chicago police showed an individual swinging a skateboard at officers and striking one personnel.
Several activist groups and a few elected officials have accused Chicago police officers of using violent tactics during protests, including using chemical irritants to disperse the crowd and using batons to strike people.
The youth activist group, The Peace, released a statement on Sunday that claimed protesters were peacefully marching until Chicago police officers and other law enforcement agencies quickly went violent against the crowds.
Last week, the shooting of a black man by police officers in Englewood neighborhood in South Chicago caused several large crowds to invade the downtown shopping area, smashing windows of business establishments and looting store merchandise, as reported by NBC Chicago.
Police brutality?
Organizers of the protests are demanding Chicago police and Mayor Lightfoot to make formal apologies for allegedly violating their rights to peaceful protests and their apparent violent attacks against demonstrators.
According to ABC 7 Chicago, the group said the violent activities resulted from police officers becoming increasingly agitated towards the crowd. They also claimed that instead of agitators, police officers were the ones disguised within the movements.
A member of the group, Alicia Kamil, said they were peacefully marching outside until police officers brutally attacked them. She added they retreated to a safe spot before law enforcement pepper-sprayed the crowds and proceeded to beat people up.
Another activist, Ja'mal Green, demanded that if police officers arrested protesters for violence, then law enforcement should also be held responsible for their violent actions. She added the Chicago Police Department would never allow footage or images of one of their own becoming violent against protesters or holding them responsible for their actions.
Many Chicago Democrats, including Senator Robert Peters, Representative Lakesia Collins, and Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, raised their concerns with Chicago police using the department's funds on the violent tactics in the city that has recorded a lower number of homicide case clearance rate than most other large cities.
A statement from the activist group said they were condemning Mayor Lightfoot and Superintendent Brown for the police's use of aggressive tactics against protesters on Saturday night. It also criticized police for the use of surveillance, violence, and detaining protesters.
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