
Spotlight Politics: Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations in Chicago
Clip: 5/7/2024 | 7m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
The WTTW News Spotlight Politics team breaks down the day's biggest stories.
Police removed a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago on Tuesday after clashes broke out between opposing groups Sunday on DePaul University's campus. All this as the city plans a new mass arrest policy for protesters with the DNC about 100 days away.
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Spotlight Politics: Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations in Chicago
Clip: 5/7/2024 | 7m 21sVideo has Closed Captions
Police removed a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Chicago on Tuesday after clashes broke out between opposing groups Sunday on DePaul University's campus. All this as the city plans a new mass arrest policy for protesters with the DNC about 100 days away.
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CAMPUS PROTESTS OVER THE WAR IN GAZA ARE BECOMING MORE TENSE.
POLICE REMOVED A PRO-PALESTINIAN ENCAMPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO THIS MORNING AFTER CLASHES BROKE OUT BETWEEN OPPOSING GROUPS SUNDAY ON DEPOSE CAMPUS AND CHICAGO'S POLICE OVERSIGHT AGENCY IS LOOKING INTO CHARGES.
OFFICERS USE EXCESSIVE FORCE AGAINST PROTESTERS OUTSIDE THE ART INSTITUTE.
ALL THIS AS THE CITY PLANS, A NEW MASS ARREST POLICY FOR PROTESTERS WITH THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.
THAT'S ABOUT 100 DAYS AWAY HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM AMANDA, AND HEADER SHARON, HEY, GANG.
SO OKAY, RUNNING DOWN THE LIST OF THE MOST RECENT EVENTS ON LOCAL CAMPUSES.
BUCKLE UP THIS MORNING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO CAMPUS, POLICE TOOK DOWN THE PRO-PALESTINIAN BUT IN OTHER CASES, CHICAGO POLICE DID INTERVENE.
CHICAGO POLICE VERSUS UNIVERSITY POLICE LIKE AT DEPAUL ON SUNDAY WHEN PRO PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS CLASHED WITH PRO ISRAELI COUNTER PROTESTERS.
CPD ALSO RESPONDED TO PROTESTS OUTSIDE THE ART INSTITUTE THAT RESULTED IN NEARLY 70 ARRESTS ON SATURDAY.
MANY ARRESTED WERE STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTES CPD IS NOW FACING ALLEGATIONS THAT THEY USED EXCESSIVE FORCE WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS WERE LOOKING AT BIT OF OF THAT SITUATION.
HEATHER, THERE WAS VIDEO, AS I SAID OF THIS CONFLICT WITH POLICE RELEASED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WHAT DOES THIS VIDEO SHOW?
WELL, THE VIDEO WHICH WAS TAKEN BY SOME TIMES REPORTER SHOWS OFFICERS INSTALLING A BARRICADE BETWEEN THE ENCAMPMENT AND MONROE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ART INSTITUTE.
>> AND IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, WE SEE CHICAGO POLICE OFFICERS REACH ACROSS THOSE BARRICADES TO STRIKE PROTESTERS WITH OPEN HANDS.
NOW THE CITY THE CITY'S USE OF FORCE POLICY PREVENTS OFFICERS FROM USING FORCE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY COULD DO OTHER THINGS LIKE TRY TO DE-ESCALATE OR ISSUE VERBAL WARNINGS.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS SPECIFIC VIDEO IS AT THE CENTER.
>> AT LEAST THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE CITY'S RULES WERE BROKEN.
AND THIS COMES AT A MINUTE AND A MOMENT WHEN THERE IS A LOT OF FOCUS ON HOW POLICE OFFICERS ARE PREPARING TO SORT DEAL WITH WHAT IS SURE TO BE MASSIVE PROTESTS DESIGNED TO SEIZE THE SPOTLIGHT AROUND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IN IN THIS CASE TO THAT VIDEO SHOW PROTESTERS TRYING STOP OR LIMIT OFFICERS FROM SETTING UP AS BARRICADES?
WELL, THAT'S WHAT SORT OF IS GOING TO BE SORT THE FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION BECAUSE, OF COURSE, OFFICERS CAN RESPOND IF THEY ARE BEING SORT OF HURT OR ATTACKED.
IT'S JUST NOT CLEAR WHETHER THAT RESPONDENT WHAT RESPONSE PROPORTIONAL AND WHETHER SOMEONE WAS INJURED.
THAT'S WHAT THE INVESTIGATION IS GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL THIS, AS YOU MENTIONED, THIS UNREST COMES AT A TIME WHEN THE CITY IS UNDER SCRUTINY FOR THE MASK ARREST POLICY IN PREPARATION FOR THE DNC.
HEATHER, HOW WITH THIS NEW POLICY CHANGE THE WAY POLICE CAN DEAL PROTESTERS?
SO ONE OF THE ISSUES DURING THE UNREST AND THE VIOLENCE AFTER THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD IN THE SUMMER OF 2020 WAS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT HAVE A POLICY THAT ALLOWED THEM TO MAKE MASS ARRESTS.
WHEN THINGS GOT OUT OF CONTROL, THIS POLICY IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THAT GLARING LOOPHOLE.
BUT THE COALITION OF GROUPS THAT SUED THE CITY TO FORCE THE CONSENT DECREE, WHICH, OF COURSE, REQUIRES ALL SORTS OF CHANGES, SAY THAT NOT ONLY DOES THAT PROPOSED POLICY VIOLATE THE FIRST AMENDMENT, IT VIOLATES THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN USE OF FORCE POLICY AND ITS OWN POLICY REQUIRES OFFICERS TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
THE CITY IS IN COURT THIS WEEK DEFENDING THAT POLICY IN FRONT OF A FEDERAL JUDGE AND THE FEDERAL JUDGE COULD DECIDE TO SAY NO, THAT POLICY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND SEND THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND TIME IS TICKING.
THE CONVENTION IS COMING.
WHETHER LIKE IT OR ACLU IS ALSO SAYING SAYING THAT THE CITY HAS NOT SHARED ENOUGH DETAILS ABOUT THEIR SECURITY PLANS FOR THE CONVENTION WHILE MAYOR JOHNSON AND SUPERINTENDENTS KNOWING KEEP SAYING.
>> THE CITY IS READY.
WHAT EVIDENCE DO WE HAVE THAT OUT?
BUT WE'RE READY FOR THIS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER PROTEST IS WELL, THEY SEE PROTEST PART OF THE LAWSUIT.
THAT IS PART OF THAT BECAUSE THE ACLU DOES WANT TO PROTEST SO YOU HAVE IN ADDITION TO THESE LAWSUITS, YOU ALSO HAVE FRUSTRATION WITH ALL OF THE PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN DENIED FROM PROTESTERS THAT SAY THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND THE CITY SAYING, NO, YOU CAN'T GO THERE.
THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN ALTERNATIVE GRANT PARK AND PROTESTERS SAY SAY NO, WE WANT TO GET CLOSE.
THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO GET IN THE FACES OF PROMINENT PEOPLE.
>> MEDIA CAMERAS NATIONWIDE.
WE WANT OUR MESSAGE SPREAD.
IN TERMS OF THAT THAT SORT OF WHERE WE'RE AT IT, WE HEAR FROM THE MAYOR ON SUPERINTENDENT SELLING, FRANKLY, THAT THE GOVERNOR AS WELL TRYING TO REALLY ALI THESE CONCERNS AND SAYING THAT IT IS NOT JUST THE CPD, BY THE WAY, THAT THEY'RE WAITING AND THEY ARE DUE IN COURT MEETING WITH US WITH THE FEDERAL LEVEL AGENCIES.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE FBI.
THE SECRET SERVICE ARE IN.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF SECURITY PLANNING THAT IS GOING ON.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING, HOWEVER, THAT IS APPEASING THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO KNOW INFORMATION.
NOW THEY WANT TO MAKE THEIR THEY WANT TO BE SEEN.
FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE DNC, HEATHER.
>> SEPARATELY, YOU'VE DONE SOME REPORTING CPD IN ITS INVESTIGATION INTO OFFICERS WHO ARE ALLEGEDLY OR WHO ALLEGEDLY HAD TIES TO THE EXTRA MONTH EXTREMIST GROUP.
OATH KEEPERS, WHAT DID YOU FIND?
6 MONTHS AGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT LARRY SNELLING PROMISED THE CITY COUNCIL THAT HE WOULD LAUNCH A NEW PROBE INTO AT LEAST 8 OFFICERS WHO UP WHOSE NAME APPEARED ON A LEAKED MEMBERSHIP LIST FROM THE OATH KEEPERS FIRST REPORTED BY NPR.
>> NOW THAT PROBE WAS COMPLETED IN.
THERE WAS NOTHING SUSTAINED AGAINST ANY OF STATE.
THE 8 OFFICERS IN THE PROBE WAS CLOSED AT OUR REQUEST.
SUPERINTENDENT SNELLING RELEASED THE FULL REPORT WHICH WAS 30 PAGES, BUT APPARENTLY ONLY INTERVIEW THE OFFICERS THEMSELVES ABOUT WHETHER THEY BELONG TO THE OATH KEEPERS AND WHETHER THEY SHARED THE OATH KEEPERS SORT EAST COAST, WHICH IS ANTI-GOVERNMENT FAR-RIGHT WING AND SORT OF A DESIRE TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT NOR WHAT THEY SEE AS UNLAWFUL ORDERS.
SO THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THAT INVESTIGATION WAS.
THOROUGH ENOUGH AND WHETHER THE CITY CAN REALLY SORT OF CONTINUE TO TRY TO REBUILD TRUST IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY HAVE ADMITTED LEE SAID, LOOK, THERE ARE THERE PEOPLE ON THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE OATH KEEPER GUNNA STATION, WHICH OF COURSE THOSE LEADERS WERE CONVICTED OF SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY IN CONNECTION WITH JANUARY 6.
SO THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
A LOT MORE TO THAT STORY ON OUR WEBSITE.
OF COURSE, I'M AMANDA LAWMAKERS IN SPRINGFIELD, THOUGH, MAKING CHANGES TO THE ABILITY OF PARTIES TO SLEET CANDIDATES.
WHAT IS WHAT IS THE CHANGE THERE?
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS THAT YOU CAN RUN FOR OFFICE.
THE CLASS OF ONE THAT WE THINK OF AS YOU RUN IN.
IF YOU WIN THE PRIMARY, THEN YOU GET YOUR CHANCE AT A GENERAL ELECTION.
IF YOU WIN THAT, THEN YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS ELECTED AND SEATED.
BUT EXCEPT FOR THERE ARE CASES WHERE NOBODY RUNS IN THE PRIMARY AND WE HAVE THAT OFTEN IN CHICAGO BECAUSE >> YOU HAVE DEMOCRATS THAT PRETTY MUCH YOU'RE GOING TO WIN THOSE RACES.
SO REPUBLICANS MIGHT NOT EVEN BOTHER IN THIS SITUATION.
A PARTY WITH THE PARTY LEADERS BE ABLE TO SLATE SOMEBODY TO TAKE THAT POSITION.
NOBODY IN THE PRIMARY GO AHEAD AND RUN THE GENERAL ELECTION.
WE ARE 6 MONTHS OUT FROM THE ELECTION AND DON'T HOLD NEW LAW PASSES.
AND THIS IS ALL PASSED BY DEMOCRATS AND SIGNED INTO LAW, OF COURSE, BY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR.
AND THEY SAY NO MORE
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