Protesters trying to knock down a Christopher Columbus statue in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park clashed with police who responded violently with batons after they said officers were hit by fireworks and thrown cans
CHICAGO – Demonstrators trying to tear down a Christopher Columbus statue in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park clashed with police who used batons to beat people and made at least a dozen arrests after they said protesters attacked them with fireworks, rocks and other items.
Friday night’s clash unfolded after at least 1,000 people attempted to swarm the statue in a failed attempt to tear it down after a rally in support of black and indigenous peoples.
Police said 18 officers were wounded and that at least 12 people were arrested during the clash. Four protesters were also injured during the clash, which prompted elected officials and local activists to condemn the officers’ tactics.
“We unequivocally condemn Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to send Chicago police to beat, arrest and terrorize protesters and journalists gathered in Grant Park tonight,” a group of elected officials said in a statement released Friday night. .
The statement was signed by several members of the City Council, including Councilwoman Jeanette Taylor and Councilwoman Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez, and two members of the Legislature: State Representative Delia Ramírez and State Senator Robert Peters.
Lightfoot said Saturday that it “will always fight for the rights of people to peacefully protest on any issue,” but noted that “part of the protesters turned violent” during Friday’s protest.
“Several people came with frozen water bottles, rocks, bottles, cans, and other equipment to throw the officers. People in the crowd also fired fireworks and other incendiary devices at the police, causing injuries in several cases. These violent acts are unacceptable and put everyone at risk, “he said in a statement.
The mayor said reports of excessive force by officers during their response to the protest “are also unacceptable” and urged anyone who believes they were mistreated by police to file a complaint with the Civilian Office of Police Responsibility of the city, or by calling 311.
Local news site Block Club Chicago reported that a protester, an 18-year-old woman, suffered multiple blows to her teeth when an officer struck her. She also shared a video of that assault and a photo of the woman’s bloody mouth and missing teeth. He identified her as Miracle Boyd, a member of the GoodKids MadCity gun violence group.
The police department said in a statement that officers gathered in the park as protesters converged there and were “providing security and protecting their First Amendment right to peaceful assembly.” He said that as protesters approached the statue, “some members of the crowd turned on the police and used the protest to attack officers with fireworks, rocks, frozen bottles and other objects.”
Organizer of the protest, Amika Tendaji, during which artists tagged the statue with slogans including “Descolonize Chicago” and “Black Lives Matter,” denounced the use of force by officers to protect a statue.
“I think the people of Chicago and the world have shown that they are above the police that brutalize people,” he said. “They have ended the police murder, they have ended the police terrorism, so people will continue to fight.”
The Columbus statue in Grant Park and another in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood were also smashed last month.
Protesters across the county have called for the removal of the Columbus statues, saying the Italian explorer is responsible for the genocide and exploitation of native peoples in the Americas.
Columbus statues have also been torn down or smashed in cities like Miami; Richmond, Virginia; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Boston, where one was beheaded.
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