A group of black residents from Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood – the location of an officer-involved shooting that triggered a night of riots and looting on Sunday – demanded that members of Chicago’s Black Lives Matter group, who were holding a protest to support those arrested for looting, leave the neighborhood and return only when they were ready to really help the community.
Chicago BLM organized a series of protests, beginning Monday, in support of the 100 individuals arrested during Sunday night’s shocking events, claiming that looting is “reparations” and that the alleged criminals were simply “protesting” and taking what is rightfully theirs from “corporations.”
On the second night of Chicago BLM’s protests, however, residents of the south side neighborhood where the initial, triggering incident occurred showed up at the BLM rally to demand the protesters leave.
“Standing in the middle of 63rd Street, encircled by police reform protesters, [Duane Kidd, a] 42-year-old lifelong resident of Englewood yelled: ‘None of these motherf******s are gonna be here tomorrow. That’s why I got a problem,'” according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which covered the clash between residents and protesters.
“They didn’t let the community know. They didn’t put flyers on peoples’ doors,” Kidd continued. “If they would’ve gotten something incited with the police, who’s gotta deal with it tomorrow? The community. Not them. They’ll be somewhere sipping sangria somewhere. I’m telling you like it is.”
Darryl Smith, a community activist and president of the Englewood Political Task Force, was harsher.
“If your issue is with the police, take it to 35th and Michigan [where CPD headquarters is located]. Don’t come in Englewood with it,” Smith said, per the Sun-Times. “If the people on 56th Street want to come over and protest the police, they can do it. But no one from the North Side or Indiana or any place other than Englewood can come here and do that.”
The “North Side” and “Indiana” are references to mostly-white areas in Chicago and in nearby Indiana.
“Y’all don’t come out when a kid gets shot. Y’all come out when it’s got something to do with the f****** police,” Smith continued.
WATCH (warning: strong language):
From earlier Daryl Smith a Englewood resident of 51 years, and community activits tells reporters why he doesn't want protesters in his neighborhood. #Chicago #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/5PepJ68Y5C
— Tyler LaRiviere (@TylerLaRiviere) August 12, 2020
The interaction between BLM and the Englewood residents was captured for social media by Chicago news photographer, Tyler LaRiviere.
Some community members and protesters are getting into arguments here at the 7th district police station, many community members are demanding that these protesters leave their community and protest somewhere else. #Chicago #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/Ej1dUwGRgc
— Tyler LaRiviere (@TylerLaRiviere) August 11, 2020
Some community members who did not speak at the counter-rally spoke directly to BLM protesters, demanding to know where Black Lives Matter has been during the recent uptick in violence: “Where are you when a baby’s shot?” one asked.
Community members continue to ask protesters to leave and ask "where are you when a baby's shot" #Chicago #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/RupqAzvLUv
— Tyler LaRiviere (@TylerLaRiviere) August 11, 2020
The BLM protesters, of course, were careful to try to control the scene, trying to block photographers from documenting the division between their group and community members.
Protesters are trying to block media cameras from documenting the arguments between the community activists and protesters. #Chicago #ChicagoProtests
— Tyler LaRiviere (@TylerLaRiviere) August 11, 2020
The Black Lives Matter protest reportedly dispersed after just a half-hour, telling reporters that, “We have a relationship with the commander and if anyone wants to come in here and talk to the police about the shooting or anything, they have to go through us.”
The Chicago BLM social media accounts, however, say the protest simply ended and that they, as well as several other groups dedicated to defunding the Chicago Police Department, will continue to agitate for “justice.”