Protesters occupied Chicago’s city hall Wednesday and demanded that the city strip police of millions of dollars and give the funding instead to black students.
The protesters, who belong to #NoCopAcademy, are suing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for not disclosing emails concerning the construction of a $95 million police and fire training center, reported Chicago Tribune.
“Rahm supports schools and resources for cops, not for Black and Brown kids,” the activists say in their mission statement. “We demand a redirecting of this $95 million into Chicago’s most marginalized communities instead. Real community safety comes from fully-funded schools and mental health centers, robust after-school and job-training programs, and social and economic justice. We want investment in our communities, not expanded resources for police.”
“Back up, back up, we want freedom, freedom,” the protesters chanted. “All these racist a** cops, we don’t need ’em, need ’em.”
WATCH:
2 hours in, they refusing to let us use the bathroom or bring in good but we still going strong #NoCopAcademy pic.twitter.com/1lkS1iMMfN
— Assata’s Daughters (@AssataDaughters) March 28, 2018
“Students in Chicago are staging a SIT IN at City Hall right now,” Chance the Rapper said on Twitter. “I ask that you stop by and show them that you are in SUPPORT of their REVOLUTION. Bring food if you can, these children are fighting for our future kids as well as themselves.”
Emanuel defended the police academy in November, claiming it would generate economic growth and security for Chicago.
“All the aldermen on the West Side voted for this because they understand — they have felt forgotten from the type of public investments that can spur economic growth,” the mayor said. “It will have its own value of safety for the entire city. It will have its own value of safety… to the West Side. And it will be an investment in the kind of economic activity we want to see.”
#NoCopAcademy #GoodKidsMadCity youth shutting down City Hall, and calling out Rahm for the lack of investment in black & brown communities… pic.twitter.com/9425Hwuje4
— Unapologetic_T (@ToniiMagitt) March 28, 2018
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