MAG MILE RAGE
Laquan McDonald protesters block shoppers, cut off Rev. Jesse Jackson’s speech at Water Tower
Hundreds of protesters galvanized by the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald closed a stretch of Michigan Avenue on Friday and blocked would-be customers from entering high-end, Magnificent Mile stores on what’s usually among the busiest shopping days of the year.
Many protesters remained in the area for hours, moving up and down Michigan Avenue — though by about 9:15 p.m., many of them had decided to call it a night.
For some, the night ended just before 10 p.m. outside the Best Buy at the John Hancock Center with an exchange of handshakes between protesters and some of the police officers they’d kept busy much of the day.
At least four people were arrested — the latest occurring when, after brief scuffles all day, tensions flared late in the afternoon in front of the Banana Republic store, 744 N. Michigan Ave.
About 4:45 p.m., police who were lined up in front of Banana Republic suddenly moved in toward the line of protesters blocking its entrance.
Another pushing and shoving melee ensued and quickly turned violent, as police began grabbing people and throwing them out of the way — including two female reporters wearing visible credentials representing the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune.
When police began grabbing women, one male organizer asked them not to rough up the women. Police continued to push people out of the way. Then one officer grabbed the ailing Violence Interrupter Ameena Matthews and pushed her, and she stumbled and fell. The male organizer became upset, got in the officers’ faces, and was arrested.
Tension ran high for 15 minutes. Then protesters motioned they were leaving, crossing the street to take over the entrance of Neiman Marcus.
Before then, three people already had been arrested on simple battery and “trafficrelated offenses,” according to the Chicago Police Department. Misdemeanor charges were pending.
And even earlier Friday, not long after the start of the protests, the Rev. Jesse Jackson had been cut off as he spoke about the McDonald shooting.
Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition had organized the march, which brought together a variety of groups and community leaders. They had started at Michigan and Wacker. From there, Rev. Jackson had led several hundred people north on Michigan to the Water Tower, where several people were to speak.
Jackson, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and more than a dozen other ministers and leaders crowded onto the steps of the historic tower.
Crowds counted each bullet that struck McDonald. But as they began to pray and speak, several young men with bullhorns approached from all sides, overpowering their sound with chants of “Indict Rahm.”
“This is about indicting Mayor Rahm Emanuel,” one called. The ministers countered, “Let us pray, let us pray.”
“We’re not here to pray,” a voice repeated over a megaphone.
They pulled Jackson’s microphone and stormed the stairs. Someone yanked the cord to the speakers, knocking out Jackson’s audio.
“Indict Rahm!” the protesters shouted as a brief shoving match ensued.
Those who interrupted Jackson included a group shouting “black power!” and carrying red, green and black flags.
Amid cries of “Send Rahm to jail,” Jackson and the other officials quickly dispersed as the masses hijacked Jackson’s presentation and competed with the shoppers who flocked downtown to take advantage of Black Friday sales.
“No justice, no shopping,” some chanted. “Black lives matter — not Black Friday!”
Others screamed, “16 shots, 13 months,” pointing to how long it took authorities to charge Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke in the African-American teenager’s death. McDonald’s body was shot 16 times.
Maze Jackson said the conflict developed because black parents had begun the protests over McDonald’s death and others sought to grab the limelight at Friday’s event. Jackson singled out Thomas Balanoff, the white leader of the politically powerful Service Employees International Union.
“Explain to me why Tom Balanoff would be at the front of a march for a dead black child,” Maze Jackson said. “Does he have a black child?”
Gwen Stuttley, a retired social worker from Hyde Park, brought her daughter and son, and her 9-year-old grandson, who’s visiting from Oklahoma.
“This touched my heart,” she explained. “To watch this video and see that young man shot 16 times and the police said they shot him because they feared for his life?”
“I’m a mother and I have an African-American son and an African-American grandson and it could have been one of them, easily, it could have been one of them, so my concern is grave.”
Some demonstrators linked their arms in front of many stores, refusing to let anyone in. Several shoving matches broke out.
Paxton Murphy of Chica-
“WE VALUE OUR LIVES MORE THAN MONEY IN OUR POCKETS.”
ANTHONY D. BRYANT, 21, protester
go’s South Loop said she was shoved and “forcibly pushed back” as she was trying to enter the Crate and Barrel store, 646 N. Michigan.
“I’m totally, totally sick of these kids getting killed,” she said, “but that has nothing to do with me using the bathroom at the f—— Crate and Barrel.”
An officer stepped in when a protester told Murphy she was an “instigator” who needed to leave the sidewalk in front of Crate & Barrel. The officer said, “She can say what she wants and you can say what you want.”
A block north outside the Tiffany & Co store, 730 N. Michigan, seven protesters locked arms, telling potential customers, “It’s closed,” and chanting, “While you shop, people get shot.”
A Tiffany security guard was trying to help a customer sneak past them when a protester bumped into the customer.
“You can’t elbow her,” an African-American woman walking by called out. “You’re going to get yourself arrested.”
About 10 protesters later made it onto Lake Shore Drive at Michigan Avenue, linking hands and chanting “Sixteen shots!” They halted traffic for about 10 minutes, before police ran toward them. The group then dropped hands and ran, eluding police.
Twenty more protesters blocked the doors of the Apple Store, 679 N. Michigan.
“I understand what you guys are doing but I want to shop,” Bruno Behrend of River Forest told them.
“This is an example of white privilege,” someone yelled.
Then La’Mont Williams, 27, told him: “This store is closed because your life matters. We are doing an economic boycott.”
Williams of the AuburnGresham neighborhood blocked the door. Behrend and his family eventually gave up and left, prompting cheers from the protesters.
By then, store personnel had made the decision to not let anyone inside.
Protester Anthony D. Bryant, 21, said he felt his activism was needed for the broader public “to come to understand what people are going through.”
“We value our lives more than money in our pockets,” he said.
A man and woman from Omaha, Nebraska, failed to get into the Tommy Bahama store, 520 N. Michigan. They’d been visiting their daughter, who’s a resident in the emergency room at Stroger Hospital.
“This is not right,” said the woman, who declined to give her name. “We didn’t do anything wrong. We just want to shop. This is our right.”