Marchers block Michigan Avenue's Mag Mile on Black Friday, Hit the 1%
On a rainy, cold day about 1,000 people took part in a march, Friday November 27, 2015, to protest the killing of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white Chicago Police officer. Some high profile protesters included Rev. Jesse Jackson, the former mayoral candidate,Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, US Representative Bobby Rush, and Danny Davis. Also included was a large contingent from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), that mounted a large effort to unseat Mayor Emmanuel with Jesus "Chuy" Garcia earlier in the year.
Michigan Avenue was eerily without vehicles as it was closed from the Chicago River to the Outer Drive. Bewildered tourists wandered about that were denied access to some stores or took selfies in the middle of Michigan Avenue.
The protest was peaceful with only 3 arrests. There was no damage to store fronts or property, nothing that came close to what happened in Ferguson, MO. Instead the tactic used by the protesters was a page out of the non-violent book of Martin Luther King. In order to get the attention of the 1%, that is Mayor Emmanuel, "is to hit them in the pocket book". After speeches at the Old Water Tower, the protesters turned their attention to closing the stores by blocking store entrances. This was to bring a halt in the city's commercial center on Black Friday.
The tactic to make an economic point and close down stores was very effective. Retail sales on Michigan Avenue were reported to be off by 50% for Black Friday. With no violence or property destruction, it forces the 1% to pressure Rahm Emmanuel to address police brutality, education and finance reform. When the 1% loses money, changes come much sooner. Hopefully, the CTU was taking notes and considers the same tactic during their strike in 2016.
Changing of the Black Leadership?
One aspect of the Laquan McDonald murder is the extended time it took to release the video. It was thirteen months from when the incident occurred to when the video was released. During that span of time Rahm Emmanuel was re-elected mayor and a $5 million settlement was offered to the McDonald family. It took freelance journalist Brandon Smith to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to get the Chicago Police department to release the McDonald video.
Bigger questions are: Why did the local media and their journalist researchers miss the settlement offer? Why did the the Black Caucus on the City Council support Rahm Emanuel's mayor re-election and the McDonald settlement offer? In other words where was Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bobby Rush, Danny Davis, and local media during the last 13 months prior to the video release? Why did it take a freelance journalist to break the story of Laquan McDonald?
During the Black Friday march on MIchigan Avenue the high profile protesters such as Rev. Jesse Jackson gave a speech at the Old Water Tower. During Rev. Jackson's speech alternate groups were also giving speeches that challenged the old guard. Other groups that were represented at the march include: We Charge Genocide, Project NIA, Lifted Voices, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression and Chicago Light Brigade, University of Chicago's Black Youth Project and The Revolution Communist Party.
Now is time for a young and more assertive black leadership. Clearly high profile black leaders dropped the ball during the recent Chicago Mayoral race and the cover-up of the Laquan McDonald video. The younger protesters are motivated by the same dynamics that touched off the civil rights movement of the 1960's, but are not constrained by time and political connections from the past. The younger protesters have combined peaceful protesting of Martin Luther King and 'By any means necessary' of Malcom X. Protests are but just one facet of their activist work, as they work behind the scenes to organize and plan strategy. They have studied the Civil Rights movements in high school classes and now have expanded upon those lessons.
Following are some pictures from that day on Michigan Avenue:
Michigan Avenue was eerily without vehicles as it was closed from the Chicago River to the Outer Drive. Bewildered tourists wandered about that were denied access to some stores or took selfies in the middle of Michigan Avenue.
The protest was peaceful with only 3 arrests. There was no damage to store fronts or property, nothing that came close to what happened in Ferguson, MO. Instead the tactic used by the protesters was a page out of the non-violent book of Martin Luther King. In order to get the attention of the 1%, that is Mayor Emmanuel, "is to hit them in the pocket book". After speeches at the Old Water Tower, the protesters turned their attention to closing the stores by blocking store entrances. This was to bring a halt in the city's commercial center on Black Friday.
The tactic to make an economic point and close down stores was very effective. Retail sales on Michigan Avenue were reported to be off by 50% for Black Friday. With no violence or property destruction, it forces the 1% to pressure Rahm Emmanuel to address police brutality, education and finance reform. When the 1% loses money, changes come much sooner. Hopefully, the CTU was taking notes and considers the same tactic during their strike in 2016.
Changing of the Black Leadership?
One aspect of the Laquan McDonald murder is the extended time it took to release the video. It was thirteen months from when the incident occurred to when the video was released. During that span of time Rahm Emmanuel was re-elected mayor and a $5 million settlement was offered to the McDonald family. It took freelance journalist Brandon Smith to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to get the Chicago Police department to release the McDonald video.
Bigger questions are: Why did the local media and their journalist researchers miss the settlement offer? Why did the the Black Caucus on the City Council support Rahm Emanuel's mayor re-election and the McDonald settlement offer? In other words where was Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bobby Rush, Danny Davis, and local media during the last 13 months prior to the video release? Why did it take a freelance journalist to break the story of Laquan McDonald?
During the Black Friday march on MIchigan Avenue the high profile protesters such as Rev. Jesse Jackson gave a speech at the Old Water Tower. During Rev. Jackson's speech alternate groups were also giving speeches that challenged the old guard. Other groups that were represented at the march include: We Charge Genocide, Project NIA, Lifted Voices, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression and Chicago Light Brigade, University of Chicago's Black Youth Project and The Revolution Communist Party.
Now is time for a young and more assertive black leadership. Clearly high profile black leaders dropped the ball during the recent Chicago Mayoral race and the cover-up of the Laquan McDonald video. The younger protesters are motivated by the same dynamics that touched off the civil rights movement of the 1960's, but are not constrained by time and political connections from the past. The younger protesters have combined peaceful protesting of Martin Luther King and 'By any means necessary' of Malcom X. Protests are but just one facet of their activist work, as they work behind the scenes to organize and plan strategy. They have studied the Civil Rights movements in high school classes and now have expanded upon those lessons.
Following are some pictures from that day on Michigan Avenue: