* Background is here if you need it. This statement was released yesterday by Democratic state Senators Bill Cunningham, Sara Feigenholtz, Robert Martwick and Tony Munoz; and state Representatives Jaime Andrade, Kelly Burke, Jonathan Carroll, John Connor, John D’Amico, Anthony DeLuca, Elizabeth Hernandez, Fran Hurley, Yehiel Kalish, Martin Moylan and Mike Zalewski…
This Saturday, less than a week after hundreds of rioters looted portions of the city’s central business district, the women and men of the Chicago Police Department were subjected to a well organized and unprovoked attack while attempting to maintain order during a series of protests downtown. Video of the incident clearly showed dozens of individuals forming in groups and charging police lines shortly after they opened umbrellas to disguise their activity. Footage also showed a protester repeatedly beating an officer with a skateboard. At least 17 officers received medical attention for injuries.
Peaceful demonstrations are always welcome. In fact, they are beyond welcome, they are an important and justified part of our democratic process that allow Americans to express outrage over incidents of injustice, as was the case after the brutal and senseless murder of George Floyd.
However, violent demonstrations are never justified. Looting, theft, and criminal damage to property are never justified. And unprovoked attacks against police officers are not only unjustified and lawless, they are an attack on all Chicagoans and an insult to those who protest peacefully. We strongly condemn the actions of those who initiated organized attacks against the Chicago Police Department this weekend and we express our support and appreciation for the officers who risked their personal safety to protect our city and state.
That starkly contrasts with a statement released Sunday by a mostly younger, more liberal group of legislators who said they “are wholeheartedly with the protestors.”
- Leaving Illinois Soon - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:33 am:
John Connor is a former Assistant State’s Attorney in Will County.
nice to see some Democrats support the police.
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:36 am:
Oh please. Police officer is a less dangerous occupation than construction worker but we pretend like it’s the most dangerous. It’s not even in the top 10.
- TNR - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:36 am:
Encouraging to see someone is trying to hold the center between Trump and the Democratic Socialists.
- lake county democrat - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:39 am:
After Anon’s post I needed a cleanser.
https://www.chicagocop.com/fallen-officers/fallen-officer-roll-call/
- Hippopotamus - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:39 am:
Top Most Dangerous Jobs:
Logging workers.
Fishers and related fishing workers. …
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers. …
Roofers. …
Refuse and recyclable materials collectors. …
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers. …
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural workers. …
- Han's Solo Cup - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:40 am:
Anon E Moose
How many construction workers were assaulted and murdered on the job last year?
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:40 am:
Violent attacks on peaceful protesters are never justified.
- Centennial - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:41 am:
Wow. Fairly refreshing to see (dare I say) moderate Democrats publicly stand up in defiance of the far left. Keep it up, folks. There is more of us them then. They just talk more.
- Gedge787 - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:41 am:
I support the police and Mike Madigan. But I won’t say Merry Christmas. 🙄
- Han's Solo Cup - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:43 am:
Hippo-
Again, those are accident rates…how many Roofers are murdered on the job every year?
- Res Melius - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:43 am:
= Police officer is a less dangerous occupation than construction worker =
A police officer’s occupation is more stressful as shown in a police officer’s reduced lifespan.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4734369/
And I have worked construction. I would not compare the two.
- Dotnonymous - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:43 am:
Protesting is increasingly dangerous… in the land of the free.
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:44 am:
No website for those who died doing more dangerous jobs. And without the government sponsored racism.
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:45 am:
Res Melius,
“The Buffalo police sample was limited (n = 2,800) compared to the total police population in the U.S. and there were a limited number of deaths in the younger age categories.”
Do better. Buffalo, NY is not the rest of the US.
- Lester Holt’s Mustache - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:47 am:
== Police officer is a less dangerous occupation than construction worker==
This might be the goofiest thing I’ve ever read on this site by someone not named Lucky Pierre. Comments like this are why people have a hard time taking progressives seriously.
To the post, good on these dems for once again proving that woke twitter does not speak for the Democratic Party, despite what trump and his minions claim.
- A Guy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:49 am:
==Oh please. Police officer is a less dangerous occupation than construction worker but we pretend like it’s the most dangerous. It’s not even in the top 10.==
This is the greatest example of idiocy I’ve seen in a very long time. Maybe ever. Calling you an idiot for saying this is worth getting banned over. Jerk.
- Telly - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:49 am:
Man, @Anon E Moose sounds like a real tough guy. Lets see you pull over a pick-up truck on an empty highway in the middle of the night — all by yourself. Or walk a beat in North Lawndale, or guard a cell block at Stateville.
- A Guy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:50 am:
Seeing Democrats speak out in this fashion actually restores some faith for me. There once was a dependable group of Dems who did this regularly. Bravo folks.
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:54 am:
Telly,
I like your ad hominem attacks. Did I say anything factually untrue or did I just say something you didn’t want to hear?
- LoyalVirus - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:56 am:
=That starkly contrasts with a statement released Sunday by a mostly younger, more liberal group of legislators=
Methinks you could have added ‘more diverse’ to that list, too.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:56 am:
There is a significant difference between the BLM protesters who are peacefully marching against the systemic and institutional racism and then the police deciding they had enough and these criminals who aren’t protesting anything and trying to minimally loot and damage property while then going after law enforcement too.
Good on these elected officials to recognize these differences.
- Birds on the Bat - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:57 am:
Looks like dems finally realized their silence was speaking volumes.
- @misterjayem - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:57 am:
Police violence against protestors isn’t justified regardless of how stressful or dangerous the profession is.
– MrJM
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 9:59 am:
MrJM,
I agree with you - I abhor violence. But some professions are more dangerous than police officer. Sorry if that makes people upset.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:00 am:
yep, the voices for peace have to get louder. don’t intentionally hurt protesters, and, yes, don’t intentionally hurt the police. I truly don’t understand why hoping that police officers are not injured, or being upset when they are, is controversial. balance. Trump wants us out of balance. don’t contribute to that.
- Fan - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:00 am:
Of course OW gets it right again. This is important that these Dems speak strongly and accurately as they are here. The protestors are valid. The looters and rioters are not. Their actions are unacceptable. Good for these Dems.
- TheInvisibleMan - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:00 am:
The fact of the matter is that police officer is not one of the most dangerous jobs. When you take out the accidental deaths they include in their ‘fallen officer’ lists, its even lower. Dying of a heart attack from your poor eating habits is not the fault of your job.
Just because the roofers union doesn’t put out a stream of press releases when someone is murdered on the job, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. A quick google search will show you that there are unfortunately plenty of murdered construction workers at job sites. Yes, more than police. There was one in San Antonio just a few weeks ago.
The facts are that fewer police officers die or are killed on the job than dozens of other professions. Why the strong denial of that reality?
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:00 am:
It also highlights how silent Raunerites have been with Black Lives Matter… If we all have this need to discuss “silence”
- Yiddishcowboy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:03 am:
If this–physically attacking the police and looting–is the far-left’s strategy to seek social justice/an end to systemic racism, true social justice and an end of said racism will be a long, long time in arriving. Do better/be smarter progressives.
- Beecher - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:05 am:
The fault lines are there. Madigan is the only thing holding the Illinois Democratic party together. Once he is gone splits described in the post will be bloody.
- A Guy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:06 am:
==The facts are that fewer police officers die or are killed on the job than dozens of other professions==
Someone robs your house or threatens your safety..you go ahead and call a Roofer. I’ll call 911.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:06 am:
===This is important that these Dems speak strongly and accurately as they are here.===
First, thank you, appreciate your kind words.
Second, yep, accuracy to what is at play is critical, as Trumpkins want to marginalize BLM and the race baiting by Trump with “suburban housewife” thinking and this chance to divide is there.
Critical that these legislators spoke to the differences to the groups as others will try to derail the need for change
Stay well.
- Hippo - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:07 am:
Hans Solo. I don’t think how they died matters to the loved one left behind. And the top most dangerous jobs are not nearly as well compensated. I don’t agree with violence against police. We are simply examining risks of a job and compensation.
- Hey - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:10 am:
Thanks to those in Portland and Chicago, Trump is within the margin of error in the latest CNN poll. Methinks the progressives might be winning the battle but losing the war.
- Michael Westen - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:10 am:
“But some professions are more dangerous than police officer.”
Yes some professions have more accidents. Few professions are there where more are physically assaulted or attempts at murder. So, no. Not more “dangerous.” Try to be smarter.
- cermak_rd - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:11 am:
I guess I would say the reason we tend to commemorate fallen officers is because peace officers are supposed to be agents of the people.
Ideally, the peace officer who comes to your home to help with your break in would be the guy who lives a few blocks down the street. That’s still how it is in small towns.
We need to figure out how to get the reality to match that picture as close as it can in larger communities.
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:11 am:
A Guy,
You keep ignoring the point of the original post - that police officer is not one of the most dangerous occupations. Again, sorry if that upsets you but it remains a fact.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:12 am:
=== within the margin of error===
(Sigh)
Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million, won the electoral college.
I can care less about the popular vote.
- Anon E Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:13 am:
Michael Westen,
Any data to back up your claim?
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:14 am:
=I can care less about the popular vote=
That caring less sure worked out well in ‘16.
- Chicago - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:14 am:
To ‘Hey’ point…If Trump wins (Which I still doubt) it will be because of this anti police/urban violence effort.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:15 am:
This;
=== That starkly contrasts with a statement released Sunday by a mostly younger, more liberal group of legislators who said they “are wholeheartedly with the protestors.”===
The reality is the differences within the Democratic Party and the actors involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and these criminals will dictate how far the racist who support Trump can go to marginalize the end to systemic and institutional racism.
That’s the ball game.
The looting and criminal activity allows the wedge.
- pc - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:17 am:
it takes real courage for politicians to stand up for the police, almost as much as it takes to face an umbrella — good for these fearless Dems
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:18 am:
let’s get off the what is the most dangerous job topic. those statistics are not in play here. there are protesters, looters and other assorted criminals, and police. that’s it. for example, construction workers may or may not be in action as they watch the protests. the discussion is about the protests. not jobs.
- Jibba - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:19 am:
Hey- you’re really looking for that silver lining. He is exactly at the margin of error in a poll that differs quite widely from the other polls being done at the same time that clearly show Biden ahead. Political unrest looks just as bad for the incumbent.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:19 am:
=== Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million, won the electoral college.
I can care less about the popular vote.===
States like Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania elected Trump by winning states, not the beauty contest.
If you can’t grasp that, Facebook might be your speed.
If anything, encouraging racial strife, to divide the country, if that’s the map to win… what kind of America are they wanting?
The criminals that the Dems are condemning here is critical.
- Bob_Loblaw - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:19 am:
== Thanks to those in Portland and Chicago==
Is there a single shred of evidence for this claim? The high water polling mark was right after they burned down the Minneapolis precinct, after all
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:25 am:
Get back on topic or deletions and banishments will follow.
- Jocko - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:28 am:
While I respect the right to protest, I would like to know how many of these individuals are involved in local politics or, at a minimum, have voted.
Dahleen Glanton had a good article about this yesterday. https://tinyurl.com/y6bfnnld
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:34 am:
I keep hoping that we can form a political party of the middle. I am losing hope that the Republicans can reform themselves. Maybe the Democratic middle can hold.
- Bob_Loblaw - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:36 am:
== I keep hoping that we can form a political party of the middle.==
The Democratic Party 1992-Present. John Kasich just spoke at their convention last night
- Downstate Illinois - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:42 am:
Finally some sanity showing up among Democratic officials.
- Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:49 am:
Are protesters publishing the addresses of police officers?
https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/08/18/alderman-blast-police-for-sharing-mugshots-of-arrested-protesters-stop-doxxing-my-innocent-until-proven-guilty-residents/
- Helm - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:50 am:
Kudos to all of these elected officials for speaking out. It is possible to support the rights of peaceful protesters while also supporting law enforcement.
- Jockey - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 10:51 am:
Sen. Villanueva, who signed a statement yesterday about CPD tactics represents the Garfield Ridge/Clearing neighborhoods. GR is home to many, many CPD officers. Not sure why she would not be with group of legislators supporting the CPD.
- A Guy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:24 am:
==You keep ignoring the point of the original post - that police officer is not one of the most dangerous occupations.==
A E M dude, I’m not ignoring; we disagree. Especially lately. Every day a cop goes to work is a dangerous day right now.
- A Guy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:27 am:
==It is possible to support the rights of peaceful protesters while also supporting law enforcement.==
It’s not only possible. It’s where every civilized person should be.
- VerySmallRocks - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:31 am:
Maybe when these good citizens get harassed, tuned up or worse by cops for trivial or no good reason, they’ll sing a different tune. But of course, they’re magically protected. Police are not above the law.
- The Most Anonymous - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:32 am:
They’re not saying directly conflicting messages. The younger, progressive elected officials said they’re wholehartedly with the protestors. They didn’t say they’re wholeheartedly with the looters.
The statement from the other group of Dems condemns looters and supports the protestors.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:32 am:
===Every day a cop goes to work is a dangerous day right now.===
… and yet, George Floyd, Laquan McDonald, Breonna Taylor…
The riotous and criminal elements that the Democrats here condemning still does not diminish what has happened to bring Black Lives Matter to where the peaceful protests have taken it.
The point of breaking away as these Dems are… is to also remove this narrative of a need to diminish what BLM is truly about.
- All this - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:47 am:
I remember last year when so many state troopers died on the highway. And Illinois pulled out all the stops for an awareness campaign and gave Scott’s law more teeth.
Less officers die nowadays because of awareness campaigns, improvements in their practices, GPS in cars and wearing things things like bullet proof vests which prevent injury and death. The improvement in officer survival rates throughout the USA is a great accomplishment and is a cause for celebration. I don’t understand why this fact would make someone so angry that they would call someone a jerk for pointing this out. I for one support the police and am happy that being a police officer is much safer than it once was.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:48 am:
This list could also be the least ethical people in the GA currently. Not a surprise they’d stand up for misconduct and corruption
- 1st Ward - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:54 am:
“The younger, progressive elected officials said they’re wholehartedly with the protestors. They didn’t say they’re wholeheartedly with the looters”
Some of the same elected officials tried to justify the looting last week (see statement below). Also, see Crains article from Heinz when he reached out to them. They wouldn’t condemn any violent agitators or looters when asked directly by Heinz about the difference between legitimate protesters and looters/agitators.
https://twitter.com/UWFIllinois/status/1292867017356251142
- Titan - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 11:56 am:
Peaceful protest is a fundamental 1st Amendment right, strongly protected by the Constitution. I fully support the right of people to peacefully protest, whether I agree with them or not (like Jake & Elwood, I hate Illinois Nazis). I even give a pass to minor infractions (like jaywalking or excessive noise ordinance violations) in connection with peaceful protests.
I say the line is crossed when the basic rights off others are impacted (blocking roads and preventing people from traveling public ways when not done with prior approval and viable alternate routes being established). Law enforcement should reign things in (as firmly, but as gently as possible) at that point.
When violence erupts and looting begins, any legitimate protest has crossed into chaos or domestic terrorism. At that point law enforcement is justified (compelled even) to use such force as is required to quell it, including deadly force.
If law enforcement isn’t going to stop the violent activities, we’re eventually going to be seeing individual “self-help” or vigilante action - and that would be much worse than the police dealing with it. And that is not to mention the looted and burn out businesses not coming ack, leaving the economic/employment/tax revenue situation worse and making implementing solutions even more difficult.
- Fly like an eagle - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 12:35 pm:
== Some of the same elected officials tried to justify the looting last week (see statement below).==
The statement below doesn’t justify the looting at all.
In fact it says the opposite: “Chicagoans deserve safety and security.”
There is some further arguments for allocation of resources and for defunding police. One may or may not disagree. But at no time did anyone justify looting.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 1:00 pm:
@Precinct Captain, way to blanket blame legislators on ethics. next time someone does that to all people in the streets, protesters or not, I will expect your silence.
- Commisar Gritty - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 1:37 pm:
Most dangerous jobs? Parking meter attendant or tiger king park employee. Prove me wrong
- Sling - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 2:05 pm:
== The facts are that fewer police officers die or are killed on the job than dozens of other professions. Why the strong denial of that reality?==
I don’t understand the venom of some of the comments. We can all agree that it’s important work, people don’t have to die on the job for the job to be important.
- Precinct Captain - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 2:09 pm:
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6373798/amp
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/nsleed.pdf
In raw terms, as we’ve added more cops there has been less killing of cops and less violence against cops. It’s never been safer to be a cop and it is not as dangerous as logging or many other industries. Those are facts. Sorry that facts don’t care about your FOP feelings.
- Enviro - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 2:27 pm:
= We strongly condemn the actions of those who initiated organized attacks against the Chicago Police Department this weekend…=
Thank you to the Illinois Democratic State Senators and Representatives for supporting Chicago Police Officers who are working to keep the neighborhoods and streets of Chicago safe for residents and visitors.
- Thomas Paine - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 2:41 pm:
=== I say the line is crossed when the basic rights off others are impacted (blocking roads and preventing people from traveling public ways when not done with prior approval and viable alternate routes being established) ===
You really dont understand civil disobedience at all.
John Lewis’ march across the Edmund Pettus bridge was illegal, and they ignored orders from Sheriff Clark to disperse,
- Nadine - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 2:53 pm:
= Most dangerous job? =
The problem with the raw data that many of you are relating is that you are only capturing fatalities. Police officers sustain serious injuries which need to be accounted for as well. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a study, which is the first to examine nonfatal injuries among officers on a national scale, which was in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Law enforcement officers have historically high rates of fatal and nonfatal injuries. The new research shows that officers are three times more likely to sustain a nonfatal injury than all other U.S. workers.
According to the study: Assault-related injury rates significantly increased almost 10% annually.
Just imagine yourself as a police officer in Grant Park about a month ago when 49 officers were injured and one lost his eye. A very scary situation, and one that many of these officers are not going to forget.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 3:00 pm:
We’re a country founded by men who poured boiling tar on public officials before parading them around town on a timber.
We’re also a country that specifically institutionalized and created numerous laws in order to deny basic human rights to tens of millions of people.
So it’s always helpful to see folks that are literally elected public officials who are literally responsible for our state’s government look at protests in Chicago and seen that the goons paid with public dollars are yet again violating the Constitution of the United States of America and decide to make a statement no one asked for and a statement they didn’t need to make in order to indicate how deaf they are to the cries of the people they represent and the injustices they suffer.
The message that they send is clear. They’re defending a status quo where public servants are free to trample on the rights of the people, free to beat, free to murder, free to drag innocent women from parked cars and beat them.
The only way they can make their complicity in police violence more clear would be if they showed up at the protests to turn the hoses on the crowds and release the dogs.
I am beyond disappointed.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 3:02 pm:
===and one that many of these officers are not going to forget. ===
I’m pretty sure when officers say that, though, they’re making a threat and expressing their intent to continue to violate the rights of the people that pay their salaries and not describing their mental health.
- Mr. Black - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 3:09 pm:
Nurses and healthcare workers are probably assaulted as often, if not more often than police.
- Tamarind - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 3:09 pm:
An officer didn’t lose an eye in Grant Park a month ago.
- Enviro - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 3:25 pm:
= 49 officers were injured and one lost his eye =
It was a broken eyesocket. That sounds pretty serious, too.
- Tamarind - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 4:31 pm:
== It was a broken eyesocket. That sounds pretty serious, too.==
And painful.
Why exaggerate?
- cermak_rd - Tuesday, Aug 18, 20 @ 4:58 pm:
I think I would draw the line more toward protesting. I have no problem with protestors blocking major expressways even as long as it is not everyday and they give fair warning (like a day ahead). This allows everyone to reroute their commute/delivery/ambulance driving for the day and allows the protestors to say hey this is important.
I would draw the line at actual criminality like trampling or harming peace officers or actually blocking access to a building (it’s one thing to make it less convenient and another thing entirely to block entrances).
- Sling - Thursday, Aug 20, 20 @ 7:13 am:
== Wow. Fairly refreshing to see (dare I say) moderate Democrats publicly stand up in defiance of the far left.==
Wow. The statement released by the Democrats never mentioned “the far left.” They mentioned violence and looting. Criminal behavior. Why do you assume “far left?”