Activists Plan Black Friday Boycott For Community Control Of Chicago Police
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago activists called for a boycott on Black Friday, Nov. 25 on the Magnificent Mile.
The boycott of in the city's busy shopping district, on the busiest shopping day of the year, was organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The group had the protest planned since Oct. 5.
The protest is in response to Mayor Emanuel, the Chicago City Council and the powers of the city's refusal to to acknowledge and implement the people's demand for an all elected Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) in the 365 days since the murder of Laquan McDonald video was revealed.
The group also shut down much of Chicago's Michigan Avenue on Black Friday last year. The purpose of protesting on Black Friday is to confront "the corporate bosses of Chicago, and this nation, who have their hands on all the levers of power," the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said in a statement. "We have called for a Boycott of the Magnificent Mile on Black Friday because if we can have no justice then the corporate power brokers, and corrupt politicians, will no longer be allowed to profit from our misery and oppression."
The city has implemented a number of reforms, but critics complain the city has not done enough. City officials say they plan to create a non-elected citizen oversight board next year.
"Let us be absolutely clear that Boycott Black Friday must be a Day of Defiance, a Day of Deeds, where we do what we mean and mean what we do," the group said in a statement. "It must be the beginning of Days of Defiance where we say to the white racist, power structure of this city, and nation 'You cannot murder us, trample on our humanity, leave us emotionally traumatized and imprisoned in miserable social conditions and then expect our obedience. You can no longer have our obedience and we will defy you until we are free.'"
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression "demands justice for Laquan McDonald, Reika Boyd, Flint Farmer, Bettie Jones, Ronnieman Johnson, Joshua Beal and all those unjustly murdered. We demand justice for George Anderson, Jaime Hauad and all those torture victims, both those who have died and those who have survived."
Listen to a part of the protest below with WBBM's Rob Hart.