Chicago protesters block streets, scuffle with cops, demand Mayor Emanuel resign

Mayor Emanuel delivered an address to Chicago city council Wednesday morning, vowing to fix Chicago police practices. In response, about 200 demonstrators gathered at City Hall and called for the mayor’s resignation, saying that one speech can’t fix decades of police corruption of the kind that culminated in 17-year-old Laquan McDonald’s death.

READ MORE: DOJ launches probe into Chicago police after Laquan McDonald charges

The mayor had previously announced the resignations of Gary McCarthy, superintendent of Chicago Police Department, and Scott Ando, the head of the Independent Police Review Authority, in a bid to placate protesters. This was followed by the US Department of Justice subsequently launching an investigation the Chicago police.

“This is going to get a lot bigger than what it was,” Jeffrey Coleman told NBC Chicago, pointing to intense anger among Chicago residents and alleged abuse by police officers that he said has led to “disrespect and murder in our community.”

At 12:00pm local time, demonstrators walked out of school and work, gathering at Daley Plaza to march across the city. More than 1,800 people responded to the Facebook event saying that they would attend, according to NBC Chicago.

“We will now hold our leaders accountable for the transgressions they commit and that are committed under their watch,” the group wrote on Facebook. “Task forces, press releases, symbolic replacements of one crony for another are no longer enough to mollify the masses.”

At about 2:30 p.m. local time, hundreds of protesters began to block the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street before marching north toward Michigan Bridge.

“This is a peaceful protest,” a woman on a megaphone could be heard saying. “Do not give them any justification to attack us.”

“Police don’t kill us,” she chanted.

Protesters chanted “Anita and Rahm must go!” in unison as they crossed the bridge and marched on Chicago’s famous Magnificent Mile, stopping traffic. Anita Alvarez is the State’s Attorney for Cook County.

READ MORE: Chicago’s top cop forced to resign, new accountability task force created following protests

The protest is only the latest in a series of demonstrations that have been expressing mistrust of Chicago’s police and government. They were sparked by the release of a video showing the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager, at the hands of a white police officer. The officer was involved in the shooting was charged with murder.