At 6 p.m., hundreds of people had gathered in Logan Square Park with plans to march to the nearby home of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, though police barricades prevented them from getting too close.
VIEW | Hundreds of protesters gather in Logan Square to demand justice for Adam Toledo
The group grew to thousands as they marched around the neighborhood, closing the hexagonal intersection of Milwaukee, Diversey and Kimball at around 7:30 PM.
Many in attendance said they were there to protest a police system that just isn’t working, and they wanted the mayor to hear that message.
“On social media, there are a lot of people who still deny that this is even a problem, and so if you don’t show this again, the conversation will end,” said Gerald Parker, Chicago resident.
The event was largely peaceful, but as it drew to a close around 10 p.m., a small group of protesters who were still strolling the streets began to wrestle with the police.
RAW VIDEO | Protesters clash with the police in Logan Square
The night before, dozens took to the streets, protesting the police and calling for justice for Adam Toledo downtown and in the West Loop. A group marched from Millennium Park up Michigan Avenue to the Magnificent Mile.
Later, others made their way through the West Loop. Both protests briefly blocked traffic and then there was a protest just outside the Chicago police station.
He raised his hands and was killed anyway. So I have a question: what else could he have done? ‘ said Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef, Chicago Activist Coalition for Justice.
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‘I want to say to the mother: I am here with you out of solidarity. We will fight you all the time, ”said Gloria Pinex, whose son was murdered by a Chicago police officer.
Nowhere has the reaction to that tape been more visceral than in Little Village, the Latino working-class neighborhood where Toledo was born and raised.
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After demanding for weeks to see the video, residents openly sobbed on the street. Some said they couldn’t bring themselves to look.
“When I saw the video today, something in me died,” said Kristian Armendiaz, Little Village Community Council. “I couldn’t even bear to watch the whole video alone. I felt like my childhood had just died.”
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“When they saw that video today, I thought about my three children. I thought about the teens, the youngsters of Little Village. We need to fund the community,” said Maria Castillo, resident of Little Village.
In the run-up to Thursday’s emotional events, the city and some businesses were prepared for the possibility of violence. Windows were boarded up and city vehicles were ready to block traffic, scenes reminiscent of last spring.
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