Protests Continue in Chicago Day After Citywide Walkout

A staged“die-in” lasted 16 minutes, one minute for each time 17-year-old McDonald was shot by a Chicago police officer last year

Protesters descended on Chicago once again Thursday, the day after hundreds of demonstrators gathered in a citywide walkout that shut down several major streets in the city’s downtown, calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s resignation.

The first event happened around 8 a.m., when dozens of medical students from several organizations staged a "die-in" in front of City Hall. The group said it was protesting a "public health crisis of excessive police violence and complete lack of accountability by city leaders in the killing of Laquan McDonald."

Protesters held signs that read "White coats for black lives" and "Rahm is not healthy for Chicago."

The "die-in" lasted 16 minutes, one minute for each time 17-year-old McDonald was shot by a Chicago police officer last year.

The release last month of dashcam video showing the 2014 killing of McDonald has set off weeks of largely peaceful protests and led to the dismissal of the city's police chief.

At 2 p.m., a press conference was held outside Chicago Police Headquarters where community leaders lashed out at Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 

Chicago police crime survivors also gathered around 3:30 p.m. outside the Dirksen Federal Buildingto demand the DOJ "prosecute all criminal cops." 

The victims and their families were expected to meet with a representative for U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon at 4 p.m., according to a release from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression. The group has also planned a 5 p.m. rally after the meeting.

On Wednesday, Emanuel publicly apologized for the shooting death of McDonald and vowed to fix broken Chicago police practices, though many protesters argued one speech can’t fix decades of police corruption.

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