Anti-Brutality Protesters March Downtown Again
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A day after 19 people were arrested in downtown Chicago during protests against police killings, a smaller group of activists marched through the Loop Sunday afternoon, and the demonstration ended more calmly this time around.
After a night's rest, demonstrators said they now have a solid plan.
"We are tired of our people dying," said Clyde McLemore, an activist with the Lake County chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement. About 100 activists gathered in the Loop on Sunday to protest the police killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minnesota.
At a Daley Plaza news conference Sunday afternoon, at least one activist voiced qualified empathy for Micah Johnson, the man identified as the sniper who killed five police officers, and wounded seven other officers and two civilians during an anti-violence protest in Dallas a day after Castile's death.
"We don't condone what he did; but, police, we're going to do like you do. When the police kill, you come to their aid. When people on the other side kill police, we're coming to their aid. I'm not saying we condone, but we're not throwing him away," said Ralph Peterson, of the Lake County Black Lives Matter movement.
Other protesters were less confrontational.
"We cannot only blame the police department. We cannot blame the governor, the mayor. We have to start with us. All lives matter, not just black lives. White lives matter as well as blacks," said Barabra Arnold-Thompson, with the Kenwood-Oakwood Community Organization.
Saturday's bigger protests lasted most of the day, with leaders promising peace.
"No violence will happen in this protest," Black Lives Matter Chicago activist Ja'Mal Green said.
However, by nightfall, violence did erupt along the police line after police were hit with water bottles. Police blamed demonstrators, but the protestors claimed the trouble was incited by officers.
"The police started to antagonize the protesters. They started to say things. Me, myself, I was called a black b***h by a Chicago male police officer," said Nina Morris, a BLM Chicago activist.
Police said Saturday's demonstrations were mostly peaceful, but said a small number of protesters physically engaged police. At least one officer was hit in the face by a water bottle tossed by a protester, igniting an explosive exchange between demonstrators and police.
Among those arrested was Green, the Black Lives Matter organizer who forecasted a peaceful protest.
On Sunday, protesters marched from Daley Plaza to Federal Plaza, and then to the Michigan Avenue entrance to the Taste of Chicago. Several protesters were allowed inside, but many others dispersed after the others went into the festival. A total of 19 people were arrested during the protests.
On Sunday, police said two people were arrested at Jackson and Michigan during the protest march, but details were not immediately available.
Protest organizers said a national day of action was being planned for August 6th.