Residents Kick BLM Protesters Out of Chicago Neighborhood
Black Lives Matter protesters were kicked out of a Chicago neighborhood by residents Tuesday night.
Demonstrators had shown up in front of the 7th District police station in Englewood to protest a Chicago police-involved shooting, WFLD-TV reported.
However, they were only in the area for an hour because residents of the neighborhood — which is 94 percent black — pushed back.
“If you ain’t from Englewood, get the f— out of here,” resident Darryl Smith told protesters.
The 51-year resident of the neighborhood was reacting to days of unrest in Chicago after police exchanged gunfire Sunday with 20-year-old Latrell Allen in Englewood.
Police say Allen fired at officers first and they returned fire and hit him.
“First time they heard something he was 15. He got shot 15 times. He got shot and a lady got shot,” Smith said.
“It goes to social media and you have to learn the facts, you have to have facts in this matter.”
Police Superintendent David Brown said looting in downtown was started in response to the shooting and the tension in the neighborhood, WMAQ-TV reported.
“A lot of people saying the looting downtown sparked from Englewood,” Smith said as his reasoning for wanting the protesters to leave.
“We are tired of Englewood getting a black eye,” he said. “Those people were opportunists.”
Resident Charles McKenzie added, “We refuse to let anybody to Englewood and tear Englewood apart.”
The protesters were reportedly calling to defund the police department and have it overseen by an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council.
Chicago police set barriers and raised bridges in the downtown area to try and prevent more looting in the Central Business District as part of the city’s neighborhood protection plan.
Access to the downtown area will be temporarily restricted this evening from 9pm–6am. Residents and employees whose businesses are located downtown will have access at all times. As part of the restricted access, the following measures will be in place until further notice:
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) August 11, 2020
“Access to the downtown area will be temporarily restricted this evening from 9pm-6am,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted Tuesday evening. “Residents and employees whose businesses are located downtown will have access at all times.”
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