A collection of elected officials, community activists and labor leaders are planning a demonstration billed as a “march for justice” Friday on Michigan Avenue in the wake of the release of video showing an officer fatally shooting Laquan McDonald.
Demonstrators are calling for an independent investigation into the case and are questioning why it took more than a year for authorities to release the video to the public, and to bring charges against the officer. Some also are demanding the resignation of Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, accusing them of mishandling the case, according to statements.
Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder in connection with McDonald’s death in October 2014. Hours later, the city released a dash-cam recording showing Van Dyke repeatedly shooting the 17-year-old in the middle of Pulaski Road.
The planned Friday demonstration follows two nights of protests in the Loop and into River North after the video was made public.
Four protesters were arrested Wednesday night during an otherwise mostly peaceful march involving a group of about 100. Several protesters were taken into custody when they attempted to jump over barricades.
Jacqueline Spreadbury, 26, of Chicago, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor battery and two counts of resisting a police officer, according to authorities. Natalie Wahlberg of Cedar Lake, Ind., 33, was charged with damage to public property. Two 18-year-old Chicago men, Max McKune and Omari Ferrell, were charged with resisting police officers.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson hosted a series of meetings Wednesday with elected officials, community leaders, youth activists and labor leaders to plan a response to the McDonald case.
The march is set for 11 a.m. Friday, beginning at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. Demonstrators plan to march north on Michigan on the Magnificent Mile during one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
“The whole idea is that we need a massive demonstration,” Jackson said in an interview Wednesday. “And a massive quest for justice.”
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis is among those planning to attend the Friday march.
“It is time to turn our pain into power,” Lewis said in a statement. She encouraged union members to “express their outrage and dignity” by participating in the demonstration.
Chicago police said Thursday they will continue to protect demonstrators’ First Amendment rights.
“We will have the appropriate police resources to support peaceful demonstrations,” said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi in a statement.
NAACP leaders also called for reforms to the way police-involved shootings are handled in Chicago, pushing for changes to the Independent Police Review Authority and for the creation of a review board made up of community members.
Activists also want a special prosecutor assigned to the Van Dyke case.
Chicago Tribune’s Tony Briscoe contributed.
Twitter @pmocwriter
![At a recent wedding reception in Chicago, guests gathered to toast the newlyweds at the bar. Glasses were lined up in front of them, but no alcohol was poured. Instead, marijuana vapor was pumped into the upside-down glasses, which were then lifted and inhaled in unison. “A lot of people were surprised,” bride Aja Heinlein said. “They didn’t even know that was something they could do.” In the new world of cannabis, consumption at private events like weddings, holiday parties and corporate events is becoming more common. The state law that legalized recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ctc-L-Illinois-marijuana-wedding15_187593870.jpg?w=525 "At a recent wedding reception in Chicago, guests gathered to toast the newlyweds at the bar. Glasses were lined up in front of them, but no alcohol was poured. Instead, marijuana vapor was pumped into the upside-down glasses, which were then lifted and inhaled in unison. “A lot of people were surprised,” bride Aja Heinlein said. “They didn’t even know that was something they could do.” In the new world of cannabis, consumption at private events like weddings, holiday parties and corporate events is becoming more common. The state law that legalized recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and […]")
