Chicago police officers and violent rioters collided on Saturday as riots broke out in the Windy City. According to Chicago Police, at least 24 people were arrested during the protests that escalated into violence. Four people were arrested and charged with battery of officers, which is a felony.
“This group deployed large black umbrellas, changed their appearance and began pushing our officers and eventually assaulting them,” Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said.
During the riots, two civilians were injured and 17 police officers were treated for injuries. Police responded with pepper spray and some hit demonstrators with batons.
Brown said one of the cops injured was an officer who was “beaten in the head several times with a skateboard.” The official Twitter account for the Chicago Police shared video of the assault.
The following video footage shows the initial incident that sparked yesterday’s violence and arrests, as well as th… https://t.co/t4VOmqfVBl
— Chicago Police (@Chicago Police)1597589038.0
The situation became so uncontrollable that the city was forced to raise the area bridges to limit access. The same defensive tactic was implemented by the city last Sunday during the riots and widespread looting.
“It wasn’t until later this afternoon during a separate protest downtown where multiple agitators hijacked this peaceful protest,” Brown said.
Organizers are calling for protesters to move south, away from the police. #ChicagoProtests https://t.co/61suTnMxfE
— Grace Del Vecchio (@Grace Del Vecchio)1597533709.0
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday and downplayed the violent riots in her city.
“What we’ve seen in cities all across the country, not just Chicago, is a continuing wave of protests,” Lightfoot told host Margaret Brennan. “The vast majority of these have been peaceful. But what we’ve also seen is people who have embedded themselves in these seemingly peaceful protests and come for a fight.”
Lightfoot reiterated her opinion that the riots and looting that happened in Chicago last Sunday night were “a planned attack.” “It’s not spontaneous when you bring U-Haul trucks, cargo vans, and high-end robbery tools,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot also said that the city is “never going to get everything that we need from the federal government.” She added, “If we waited for them, we’d be in dire straits.”
As of Sunday morning, there were also nearly 30 people shot in Chicago this weekend, according to Chicago Police.
The extremely concerning trend of teens and children being the victims of gun violence continued this weekend in Chicago. Of those who were shot this weekend, the victims include a 12-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy, and two 16-year-old boys.