Dueling Jussie Smollett protesters faced off in Chicago Monday, with one side chanting “Blue Lives Matter!” and the other side chanting “Black Lives Matter!”
Jussie Smollett supporters chanting “Black lives matter” as Chicago FOP chants “Blue lives matter” outside Kim Foxx office pic.twitter.com/RnfAYzDkkz
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 1, 2019
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police (Chicago FOP) rallied outside Foxx’s downtown Chicago office at 11:00 a.m., demanding that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx resign.
Wild day in Chicago. The Fraternal Order Of Police is protesting State’s Attorney Kim Foxx right outside her office for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case pic.twitter.com/8EkkbYCqfi
— Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) April 1, 2019
Foxx has come under withering criticism for her office’s decision in March to dismiss 16 felony disorderly conduct charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett amid overwhelming evidence that he staged a hate-crime attack against himself.
According to the Chicago Tribune, “the scene became chaotic when the groups merged, and counterprotesters — initially positioned across the street from Foxx’s office — crossed to where the FOP members were staged.”
The dueling demonstrations intensified but remained nonviolent as people from opposing sides clashed verbally, shouting and cursing at one another. Dozens of police officers were on hand to quell the conflicts and eventually used their bicycles to create a barrier between the two groups.
FOP protesters chanted “Foxx must go!” as the pro-Foxx activists chanted“Racists must go!” in response.
Demonstrators at Chicago police union protest over @SAKimFoxx handling of Jussie Smollett case chanting “Foxx must go!” pic.twitter.com/7pPiNYzcyY
— Aamer Madhani (@AamerISmad) April 1, 2019
MASSIVE Kim Foxx protest in Chicago over Jussie Smollett case https://t.co/A7FJtpRiMQ
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 1, 2019
“FOXX MUST GO” Big clash of ideologies as FOP anti-Foxx protest & pro-Foxx rally happen outside Foxx’s office. #JussieSmollett pic.twitter.com/XxbUb2GZAF
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) April 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/XeyedNpainless_/status/1112783747236196352
By far the best sign at the Kim Foxx protest organized by Chicago FOP pic.twitter.com/afP2E0FW0O
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 1, 2019
Earlier in the day, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church, elected officials, and community activists held their own rally at the Chicago Temple supporting Foxx, ABC7 reported:
I was there Chicago police protest against DA Kim Foxx Jussie Smollett Jessie Jackson and father faker we’re all there pic.twitter.com/D6LLGlpedp
— Jack Ryan OD (@jackryanod) April 1, 2019
Jackson called criticism against Foxx “unreasonable, unjustified and politically motivated,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Jackson said Foxx did the legal and right thing in recusing herself from the case.
Jackson calls the outrage over Smollett misplaced and out of proportion, and claimed first-time offenders in Cook County often have their class 4 felony cases dismissed.
“We are not going to allow the FOP, the mayor and Eddie Johnson to use the Jussie Smollet case to beat us over the head with it,” said Frank Chapman, co-chairman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
“This is phony justice,” Chapman added. “Not one person from the FOP or anyone of their ilk called a demonstration in defense of or promoting justice for Laquan McDonald.”
Chicago Police Union Second Vice President Martin Preib last week called Foxx’s handling of the Smollett case “very dark and suspicious.”
“The conduct of her office from the very beginning of this case was highly, highly suspicious,” Preib told the Chicago Sun-Times last week.
On Monday, retired Chicago Police detective Peter Garza said: “Somebody needs to tell Kim Foxx she’s the prosecutor, not the public defender. You can’t have a prosecutor who has this mindset of a public defender.”
Supporters of Kim Foxx expressed outrage over the criticism during their 10:00 a.m. protest.
“This is not just an attack on Kim Foxx. This is an attack on all black elected officials throughout the state,” community activist Ja’Mal Green said. “We know what this is really about, and we don’t stand for it.”
Pfleger, a committed SJW, also defended Foxx: “Disagree with her, but take your damn hands off her. Change is going to come whether you want it or not,” he told the crowd.
“The attack on Kim Foxx isn’t about Jussie,” Pfleger said. “It’s an excuse to remove a strong black woman.”
Meanwhile, Fox 32 reporter Rafer Weigel reported on Twitter that Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has accepted Foxx’s decision to drop the charges.
(1/4) Just spoke @Chicago_Police Supt. Eddie Johnson & asked about SA Kim Foxx's call on #JussieSmollett: “Our job is to present the evidence and the facts and their job is to prosecute it. We’re not always on the same page in terms of the outcome, but we’re like a marriage.
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) April 1, 2019
(2/4) "We have the same mission but we don’t always agree. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more but at the end of the day, It’s a class 4 felony. It’s the lowest felony you can have. So I think we’ve spent enough time and energy on it so now it’s time to move on”
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) April 1, 2019
(3/4) Has @Chicago_Police Supt. Johnson accepted the fate of the #JussieSmollett case at this point?: "Yeah, pretty much. I have no role in the outcome of the judicial process. So it is what it is and now my job is to get the city prepared for the summer months coming forward."
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) April 1, 2019
(4/4) Are Supt. Johnson and @Chicago_Police still hopeful for an FBI or DOJ investigation into SA Foxx's office on the #JussieSmollett case?: "We stay out of that type of thing. Our job is to present the facts and the evidence. Whatever happens on that end of it is up to them.”
— Rafer Weigel (@RaferWeigel) April 1, 2019
