City Council Praises NATO Summit, Honors Police
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago aldermen at a City Council meeting Wednesday added their voices to the chorus singing praises of the NATO Summit and everyone connected with it.
As WBBM Newsradio's John Cody reports, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the NATO Summit has turned a new page in Chicago history, and the city now takes it place on the world stage.
Meanwhile, Ald. Edward Burke (14th) said the Chicago Police Department has redeemed itself for its handling of the summit, after the black eye the department received for beating protesters during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
"The reputation of the Chicago Police Department worldwide has been redeemed," Burke said.
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Ald. Latasha Thomas (17th) commended police Supt. Garry McCarthy for directing police officers from the front lines, without donning a helmet himself.
"I just applaud you for bravery, and leading all of our police officials in battle," she said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged the extent of the praise, including aldermen comparing McCarthy to former President George Washington and Scottish hero William Wallace, who was the basis of the film "Braveheart."
"Since I have to talk to Garry McCarthy every morning, I would prefer neither Braveheart nor George Washington (comparisons) from here on forward," the mayor said.
Emanuel said Chicago's handling of the NATO Summit turned the page on a new chapter in in the city's history.
