Tag: chicago

Chicago Police Boss: No Repeat of 1968 Violence as Protesters Descend on DNC

The head of the Chicago Police Department said that his law enforcement agency is ready for potentially thousands of protesters descending on the Democratic National Convention (DNC), slated to be held this week in Chicago.

“It’s not 1968. Our officers are trained differently,” Police Supt. Larry Snelling told Chicago-area station WMAQ-TV in reference to the infamous 1968 demonstrations and riots at the DNC against the Vietnam War.

“The department has evolved. Our officers have evolved. We’ve been training for this event for over a year, so the preparedness is what’s important,” he said.

Roughly 50,000 people are expected in Chicago for the convention, including thousands of anti-Israel war activists who plan to demonstrate near the United Center where Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination, officials have said.

The largest group, the Coalition to March on the DNC, has planned demonstrations on the first and last days of the convention. Organizers with that group say they expect at least 20,000 people, including students who protested the Israel–Hamas conflict on college campuses.

“The people with power are going to be there,” said Liz Rathburn, a University of Illinois Chicago organizer of protests. “People inside the United Center are the people who are going to be deciding our foreign policy in one way or another.”

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“The Party of Joy” Marches in Chicago with Giant “Killer Kamala” Banner – Chant “How Many Kids Did You Kill Today?”

“Killer Kamala what do you say? – How many kids did you kill today.”

The ‘Party of Joy’ took to the streets of Chicago on Sunday night prior to the official launch of the DNC Convention this week in the Windy City.

Protesters carried banners reading, “Killer Kamala!” in Navy Pier.

George Behizy posted this photo from Sunday night’s protest at Navy Pier.

And the radical mob was chanting, “Killer Kamala what do you say – How many kids did you kill today?”
Independent journalist Bo from DittleTV posted video of the angry leftists marching Sunday in Chicao.

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Chicago Businesses Already Boarding Up Storefronts in Expectation of Radical Mobs at Democrat National Convention

The Democrat National Convention is happening in Chicago next week and local businesses are taking no chances.

The radical mobs of Israel-hating leftists are expected to be out in full force, so businesses with storefronts have already started boarding them up, assuming that there will be tons of pointless destruction.

The radical left has a reputation for destruction in situations like this. Expect to see a lot of smashed windows, fires, and graffiti after they get done with the city.

WGN News in Chicago reports:

Downtown Chicago businesses board up ahead of Democratic National Convention

A number of businesses in the city’s business district have covered windows and doors with plywood to better protect the buildings should demonstrations during next week’s Democratic National Convention turn unruly.

Scott Shapiro of Syd Jerome Menswear is among the businesses that chose to reinforce their windows, saying he’s had “zero indication” of any additional protections in the Loop. The men’s clothing shop is located on Madison Street, just down the block from City Hall and along the route to the United Center.

Shapiro said his storefront has been damaged on four previous occasions, with windows broken merchandise looted and other property damage.

“We know from past experiences something could ensue so we want to be proactive and get ahead of it,” he said.

Crews with a business called Chicago Board Up Services say they’ve boarded up at least a dozen locations around the West Loop, downtown and Daley Plaza and have plans to work on additional businesses weekend.

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Chicago Braces for Chaos: Courtrooms Prepared for Mass Arrests as Chicago Police Expect as Many as 100,000 Pro-Palestinian Protesters During DNC

The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC) is scheduled to take place from August 19-22, 2024.  The event will be held in Chicago, Illinois.

The convention is expected to celebrate Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee for president and Tim Walz as the nominee for vice president.

However, the city is bracing for what could be a perfect storm of chaos. With the possibility of up to 100,000 pro-Hamas protesters flooding the streets, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) is preparing for the worst.

According to WGN9, “Leaders of four Muslim organizations say they’re expecting upwards of 100,000 demonstrators to take part in a number of protests during the Democratic National Convention.”

The news outlet added that “three main protests are being planned for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, the first and last days of the convention. More than 150 organizations from around the country say they’ve formed a collective to have these protests be large in numbers, and while they represent a number of different interests, they say they will be focused on the Israeli-Palestinian war.”

The city’s preparation includes the transformation of a disused courtroom to streamline the processing of mass arrests during the DNC, according to News Nation Now.

Despite officers having undergone specialized de-escalation training, there is an expectation of violence and vandalism at the DNC.

The Chicago Police Department has taken proactive measures to handle this potential unrest, including centralizing its response to mass arrests.

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5 Years of Chicago Police Misconduct Cost Taxpayers Almost $400 Million

Over the past five years, Chicago taxpayers have forked over nearly $400 million to resolve lawsuits stemming from officer misconduct, according to a new analysis of city data. While around 1,300 police officers were named in the lawsuits, just 200 were responsible for more than 40 percent of the total cost. 

This week, Chicago PBS station WTTW released the results of an extensive analysis of Chicago police misconduct lawsuits. The investigation, which covered payouts from 2019 to 2023, found that city taxpayers footed the bill for $384.2 million in settlements, damages, lawyer fees, and other payouts. Repeat offenders—200 of them—were named in lawsuits that made up $164.3 million of the cost. In total, the city paid to resolve 539 lawsuits over the period studied.

WTTW’s analysis also found that a single officer, Sgt. Jerald Williams, was responsible for a staggering $1.4 million in lawsuit payouts, including $850,000 awarded to a victim whom Williams “slammed…to the pavement” after being stopped for drinking in 2019. 

The city should have known that Williams was a liability. According to WTTW, he’s had 22 misconduct complaints filed against him throughout his career. Police department officials had recommended his suspension several times for using unnecessary force.

Despite the serious—and expensive—misconduct allegation against Williams, he was promoted and given a raise just a year after the suit that named him was resolved, according to WTTW. 

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Left-wing Chicago mayor spent $30,000 on makeup in one year: report

Progressive Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has spent $30,000 on personal grooming, primarily for makeup and hair appointments in just one year. The money used to finance these expenditures were contributions made by supporters to the Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund. 

The bulk of the money was paid to Denise Milloy, a makeup artist and “skincare enthusiast” based on the south side of Chicago, with an additional $4,000 spent on hair appointments. Johnson made over 30 payments to Milloy between 2023 and 2024, per the Daily Mail.  

During his campaign, these payments were categorized as “candidate makeup for TV” and “candidate makeup,” while post-election expenses were labeled more generally as “campaign expenses.” 

Bill Neidhardt, a campaign advisor for Johnson, issued a written statement to the Chicago Sun Times, emphasizing that taxpayer dollars were not used for the mayor’s grooming expenses 

“The mayor does not spend taxpayer dollars in preparation for the many public appearances and events he attends every day,” Neidhardt stated. 

In the past, Johnson’s campaign applauded the supporters that had donated to the Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund, publicly stating that the fund primarily came from “working-class people.” 

Neidhardt did not comment on whether the payments covered anyone other than the mayor but highlighted that Johnson’s spending supports black and women-owned businesses. 

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Measles Outbreak in Chicago Migrant Shelter Reveals at Least 28 Percent Were Vaccinated

Following identification of 15 cases of measles in a Chicago shelter that houses migrants from Venezuela, city public health officials announced on Mar. 20, 2024 that “measles is circulating in our city. And it’s why we are putting a call out for everyone who is at risk to protect themselves now” by getting a measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) shot.1 On Apr. 23, the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health told doctors to consider giving children living in the city a second dose of MMR vaccine “earlier than usual,” warning that “too many Chicagoans are still not vaccinated against this highly contagious virus and other vaccine preventable diseases.”2

On May 16, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that a total of 57 confirmed measles cases had been confirmed in residents of the city migrant shelter or close contacts, and that 16 of the cases (28 percent) had received one or two doses of measles vaccine “more than 21 days before first known exposure,” while 41 cases (72 percent) “did not have documentation of measles vaccination and were considered unvaccinated.”3

CDC officials admitted that during the spring 2024 measles outbreak among mostly Venezuelan migrants at the Chicago shelter, “the percentage of measles cases among persons with a history of previous vaccination was higher than that reported through recent national surveillance in the United States.”4 They blamed the nearly 30 percent measles vaccine failure rate on “prolonged or close exposure to measles virus” among residents of the crowded shelter and said that Venezuela had seen a drop in first-dose measles vaccination coverage for children twelve months and older from 95 percent to 68 percent between 2017 and 2021 because of worldwide “disruption of routine immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic.” They also defended the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine by repeating the often-quoted mantra that “primary vaccine failure occurs in approximately 4% of recipients of 1 MMR dose and is rare among recipients of 2 MMR doses.”5

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84% of Measles Cases in Chicago Outbreak Linked to Venezuelan Migrants

Around 84% of measles cases in a large-scale outbreak in Chicago earlier this year are linked to Venezuelan migrants, according to a new report from the CDC.

The 57 cases of measles that occurred at the Pilsen migrant center in February can be traced back to a single child.

The first case was reported on February 27. The child arrived in the US less than five months before he became ill.

Anybody who had been present at the shelter between 22 February and 27 February was considered to have been exposed to the disease. Overcrowding at the center is identified as one of the principal reasons for the disease’s rapid spread, with over 500 people staying in just one room. The center is home to over 2000 migrants.

Between 26 February and 13 May, 57 cases linked to the shelter were confirmed, including 52 among migrants living at the shelter and three among staff.

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Chicago Mayor Johnson Calls for Work Permits for Half a Million Illegals in Illinois

On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called for work permits for half a million illegals in Illinois.

Why worry about out-of-work and suffering American citizens when you can make illegals the priority.

Johnson further boasted that his city, in constant chaos from rampant crime and urban decay, could continue to absorb even more illegals and  “conservatively” welcome another 400,000 to 700,000.

During a roundtable with urban business leaders, Johnson said, “We need the president to extend the same economic opportunities long term for our undocumented brothers and sisters, so they can build a better life here in the city of Chicago or wherever else they decide to live.”

“I want to make this emphatically clear: Chicago will never turn its back on people who wish to call the city of Chicago their home,” he added.

Fox News reports:

Johnson, whose one-year anniversary as mayor was also Thursday, said he penned a letter to the Biden administration, pushing harder for additional work permits, with the support of dozens of other city mayors, including Denver, New York, Seattle and San Francisco.

“I remain standing in my belief that a more inclusive and equitable future for all residents is truly possible, whether they arrived here yesterday or have been here for an extended period of time,” he said.

The mayor added that even though the “humanitarian crisis” continues to overwhelm and “test the city,” officials will not “waver in their commitment to the immigrant communities.”

In February, mayors from more than 40 cities sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the administration to grant more permits for additional arrivals and also extend existing ones.

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Two Chicago Men Accused of Luring Children for Sexual Abuse Released Thanks to No-Bail, SAFE-T Act

Two men arrested for allegedly trying to lure children into a van were let go after a Chicago area judge released them under the impression that the recently posted no-bail SAFE-T Act prevented the men from being held.

The two men detained by police in Cicero were also charged with violating parole and probation, according to CWB Chicago.

The two suspects, Kenchi Edwards, 60, and Kraig McCauley, 55, allegedly tried to lure several 14-year-old children into their van with promises of “games” and the promise of meeting a “famous athlete.”

The children did not get in the van, and the police were called by a parent.

The police soon detained the two men and reportedly found a mattress in the van along with a used crack pipe, “numerous condoms, lubricant and binoculars,” and several open bottles of alcohol.

Then men were arrested and charged with two counts of child luring by a person older than 21 and two counts of attempted child abduction. They are also in trouble over their parole and probation violations.

During their first hearing, though, Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt mistakenly advised Judge Susana Ortiz that the offenses were not detainable.

The judge wanted to make special note of the situation.

“I want to note for the record that as to each of these defendants, child luring and attempted child abduction are not enumerated offenses on which the People can seek detention,” Ortiz said, according to court records. “I want to note that attempted animal cruelty is one where detention can be sought but not attempted child abduction, for whatever that’s worth, I want that to be reflected on the record.”

Ortiz then ordered both men to go on electronic ankle monitoring so they could be released. She did, however, bar the men from “free movement” days, which most people on ankle monitors are allowed to have so they can leave their home two times a week.

CWB Chicago asked several sponsors of the law if the SAFE-T Act should have allowed these men to be assigned ankle monitoring and release based on their offenses.

Democrat Rep. Kam Buckner insisted that attempted child abduction is a detainable offense and the two suspects should have been held on those charges.

“Child abduction and attempted child abduction are 100% detention eligible,” Buckner told CWB. “It’s both named in the statute, and even if it wasn’t, there’s a catch all that makes detention eligible for any felony that includes the threat or infliction of great bodily harm or disability or disfigurement.”

Democrat Sen. Elgie Sims, another SAFE-T Act sponsor, agreed that the court was wrong about the case.

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