A group of Chicago activists is calling for the resignation of Chicago’s Democrat mayor, Rahm Emanuel, ahead of an anti-violence march aimed at shutting down another of the city’s busiest streets.
Last week, several groups, including the Coalition for a New Chicago and Violence Interrupters, announced plans for a march set to start on August 2 at 4 pm. The groups say they will shut down the city’s busy Lake Shore Drive, starting out on the Drive near Belmont. Then they plan to head toward Wrigley Field, the stadium where the Chicago Cubs will be playing, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The march is ostensibly meant to bring more attention to the growing gang violence and the rising murder rate infesting the city, but one of the main goals announced by march representative Dr. Gregory Livingston is the resignation of Mayor Emanuel, a former Barack Obama chief of staff.
Livingston also said his group does not want city hall’s support for the march.
“The call of the people is ‘Resign Rahm,'” Livingston said, according to Fox News. “So how, then, can you back your own regime change? How do you sanction your own termination? How dumb, naive and self-hating do you think we are?”
Likely in a backhanded slap at an anti-violence march organized by activist Chicago Catholic priest Father Michael Pfleger, another organizer of the coming march, Rev. Ira Acree, scoffed, “Honestly when the mayor endorses a protest, it’s no longer a protest. It becomes a parade, and we’re on serious business.”
Early in July, when Father Pfleger led a march that shut down one of the major highways feeding into the city, Windy City Mayor Emanuel quickly jumped to support the march and backed the protest.
The group planning this week’s march is also demanding the exit of Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, another figure who prominently supported Pfleger’s march down the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.