Chicago City Hall sit-in protest ends after 10 hours
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Smaller groups of protesters took to the streets in Chicago Tuesday, engaging in peaceful protests over the grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson, Mo. police Officer Darren Wilson in the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
On Tuesday night, about 100 people left a sit-in at Chicago City Hall after police threatened to arrest protesters at 6:30 p.m. Police accompanied protesters on a march up Michigan Avenue to the Gold Coast before stopping in front of ABC7's studios on State Street. They vowed to return again on Wednesday morning.
Dozens of mostly young people started protesting early Tuesday morning near State and Jackson, walking through the Loop.
"You don't need to be black to realize that this is a ridiculous injustice," said Alex Cannella, a protester. "Police brutality and police over-armament is affecting all of us."
PHOTOS: Hundreds of Ferguson protesters march through Chicago Loop
Many protesters eventually ended up at Mayor Rahm Emanuel's City Hall office, where they've vowed to remain for the next 28 hours. However, the sit-in ended Tuesday night after just 10 hours.
"We plan on being here for the next 28 hours because every 28 hours in this country, a black person is killed by a police officer, a security officer or a self-appointed vigilante," said Charlene Carruthers of the Black Youth Project. "That must end."
At one point, separating into small groups, those gathered shared stories of traumatic experiences, many of them involving the police.
Malcolm London was briefly detained, he says, without explanation while walking to a friend's house after Monday night's protest.
"They had my arms bent up to my shoulder blades and my face on the car," London, of the Black Youth Project, said. "And I mentioned the indictment and what you're doing perpetuates the idea that we don't think police care about us. And they laughed to my face."
Romel Murphy has similar stories. A successful business owner, he recently moved from St. Louis to Chicago and grew up near Ferguson. While he understands the frustration, he doesn't condone the rioting.
"I made sure my family was safe with texts and calls. But it hurts. I wear a St. Louis hat everyday I'm not in a suit, it's hard to represent a city and they don't represent us," Murphy said.
Protesters engaged in an hours-long march Monday night from Chicago Police Department headquarters at 35th Street and Michigan Avenue to Wacker Drive and Wells Street in the Loop.
VIDEO: Chicagoans talk about race amid Ferguson protests
The frustration in Ferguson is shared by some in Chicago.
"Just stop and listen," said Lettie Owens. "See what somebody else has to say."
"I understand police need to be protected and have to have weapons, but it always seems so many shots are fired. So better police training," said Marian Garrigan.
Some Chicagoans fear the situation in Ferguson may not evolve into anything productive in the near future.
"It just triggers all this knee-jerk, thinly-veiled racial hatred," said Donald Erickson.
"We've made changes considering that the generation before us, things were a lot worse, so we have made some steps in the right direction," said Curtis Parker. "But we've still got a long way to go,."
Father Michael Pfleger joined the ministry in during the civil rights movement. He hopes to see progress.
"We've got to say to America, we've got to say to the president of the United States, 'Face racism in America. Deal with it. Unravel it. Let's address it. Deal with the militarization of police that's going on around this country,'" he said.
Chicagoans spoke candidly about the issue of race.
"I'm a white male. I don't normally have to fear for that kind of stuff, which is unfortunate and fortunate at the same time, so it's trying to see things from a different point of view," said Seth Hatfield.
"I would love to be judged by the person I am, but when they see the outside looking in, they only go off what they see. They don't just get to know you," said Devonte Patrick.
This is an ongoing discussion, and perhaps Ferguson has brought some deep-rooted issues to the surface, and perhaps it is progress if we continue to talk about it.
