This statement can be attributed to the signed groups below:
“As our country faces an inflection point on historic systemic racism and police violence against Black people, the Chicago Police Department has doubled down on unlawful policing. In anticipation of continuing righteous protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, CPD last week issued an emergency order that fails to remedy the systemic protester abuse we have seen for weeks and allows abusive officers to continue to escape accountability.
The new order does not bar police from the most dangerous actions – including beating protestors in the head with batons. These head strikes are unjustified lethal uses of force by CPD and have been a feature at recent Chicago protests. The order also exempts officers from reporting every use of force when they interact with people engaging in First Amendment activity. This exemption is a clear violation of the consent decree designed to end CPD violence and presents a direct threat to protestors in Chicago.
Let us be clear. When people engage in First Amendment activity, it is not a license for police to be violent. The CPD must take immediate action to end unlawful lethal use of force against protesters and make clear officers will be stripped of their police powers if they do.”
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois
Black Lives Matter - Chicago
Brighton Park Neighborhood Council
Communities United
Community Justice & Civil Rights Clinic, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Community Renewal Society
Good Kids Mad City
ONE Northside
Westside Justice Center
