Black Lives Matter attacked Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Monday for criticizing looters, saying that she instead should have spent her time criticizing the police officers that were involved in a shooting Sunday afternoon.
“This morning, Mayor Lightfoot held a press conference,” Black Lives Matter wrote in a Monday press release. “In a predictable and unfortunate move, she did not take this time to criticize her officers for shooting yet another black man. Lightfoot instead spent her time attacking ‘looters.'” (RELATED: ‘We Are Coming For You,’ Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Warns ‘Criminal And Vigilantes’ After A Night Of Mass Looting, Unrest)
“The mayor clearly has not learned anything since May, and she would be wise to understand that the people will keep rising up until the CPD is abolished and our Black communities are fully invested in,” they added.
Black Lives Matter also said that “corporations have ‘looted’ more from our communities than a few protesters ever could, yet the Mayor reserves her anger for the latter. We will remain in the streets until our demands are met.”
Sunday night was the worst night of unrest that the city had seen since May, the Chicago Tribune reported. There were more than 100 arrests and 13 officers were injured. (RELATED: Rioters, Looters Hit Chicago After Man Reportedly Hit In Shootout With Police)
WATCH:
There are literally hundreds of looters in Chicago right now, hitting all the stores. pic.twitter.com/rXpdhZFEOZ
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 10, 2020
Demonstrations began after police were involved in a shooting around 2:30 Sunday afternoon. Police said that they were responding to a call of a man carrying a gun, and when they arrived, the 20-year-old suspect fled on foot before turning around and shooting at them. Police fired back, injuring the man.
In the press release, Black Lives Matter said the suspect who ran away did so “rightfully fearing for his safety in this dangerous interaction with racist armed police.” They also called the police’s account that the suspect shot first “uncorroborated” since there is no body camera footage.
Black Lives Matter also criticized police for pursuing the suspect, saying that it went “directly against the DOJ recommendation to eliminate foot chases” and “created violence out of a situation where no one was in danger.”