Justice Black Friday Ad

Activists are marching throughout Chicago on Friday to protest law enforcement shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald this past year as well as the subsequent attempted cover-up of his demise by city officials.

The protests, which started at 11:00am and so are set-to interrupt the retail bonanza of Black Friday in one of Chicago's biggest shopping districts, were arranged after the launch recently of an authorities dashcam video clip showing Officer Jason Van Dyke, who is white, firing 16 shots on black colored teenager as he tried to leave.

Activities began at Michigan Ave. and Wacker Drive and generally are poised to carry on through the "Magnificent Mile" shopping district to interrupt and boycott retail activity.

Karen Lewis, president for the Chicago Teachers Union, which endorsed the protests, said Thursday, "once we take to the roads on Friday we shall show the town that people plan to disrupt its financial center even as we turn to people of good will to become listed on us in our fight for justice for Laquan along with other sufferers of questionable and unjust authorities shootings in our town."

"It is time to turn our discomfort into power, " Lewis stated. She encouraged CTU people to be a part of those things to "express their outrage and self-esteem."

Rev. Michael Pfleger, a pastor and prominent South Side activist, stated Thursday that the activities are going to be "a chance for all of Chicago ahead on, show their particular outrage and their fury in a nonviolent method, [and] interrupt the economic engine of Black Friday."

"in the event that you really want to make a declaration: Black Friday is originating up, " Pfleger stated. "the top working day. Cannot store on Black Friday and drop to Michigan Avenue and sit back in the street and block the street on Michigan Avenue with civil disobedience peacefully, and say 'business as always can’t go on while our kids tend to be dying.'"

Friday's activities follow 2 days of protests throughout Chicago after the graphic video clip was released on public. Several activists were arrested Wednesday evening during a peaceful march of approximately 100 men and women.

"in place of responding in an available and learning method to the trend of protest that has unfolded following the launch of the video, we seen the arrest of leading activists, " Lewis continued. "we have been alarmed at criminalization of protest."