Chicago Police Brutality Protest Heats Up When Residents Confront Activists

A small demonstration against police brutality on Chicago's South Side devolved temporarily into a shouting match between protesters and area residents when the protesters' march passed through the city's Bridgeport neighborhood Tuesday.

The Chicago Tribune reports that about 40 demonstrators marched north on Halsted Street and chanted obscenities while they were accompanied by about 20 bicycle-riding police officers who were barricading them onto the sidewalk and keep the rally from spilling out onto the street. The protesters did not have a parade permit.

The group swelled to about 100 protesters at one point, according to Fox Chicago, and chanted "From Chicago to Greece, F--- the police."

When the march passed through Bridgeport, near the intersection of 31st and Halsted, some residents shouted at the protesters, "Why are you marching?" NBC Chicago reports that one elderly man got into a physical altercation with a protester.

Chicagoist reports that the protesters were meant with taunts and catcalls from some residents watching the demonstration, including one who commented, "Look at this shit. This is Obama's seed money. This is [David] Axelrod's doing."

Other onlookers appeared to applaud in agreement with the rally.

"I'm glad they got a march because the police are crazy out here," one area resident told Fox Chicago. "They come out here roughing us up ... sending innocent people to jail."Top of Form


No arrests were made during the anti-police brutality march, which was not directly related to the upcoming NATO summit. Earlier Tuesday, four protesters were arrested during an Occupy Chicago-led demonstration against U.S. immigration policy in the city's West Loop. On Monday, eight anti-war protesters were arrested after they rushed into the building that houses President Obama's downtown Chicago campaign headquarters.

Protests are expected to continue leading up to the NATO summit, which begins Sunday at McCormick Place in Chicago.