Chicago Area Protests: Curfew Lifted, Downtown Areas Reopen

After a day of peaceful protests, the Chicago area is preparing for another wave of demonstrations, but several areas are being reopened and restrictions are being lifted Sunday.

The Loop and Central Business District in downtown were both reopened on Sunday morning, with bridges lowered in several areas and CTA buses and trains resuming service through the Loop, according to CTA officials.

Here are the latest headlines from around the city:

7:59 p.m.: North Side Protest Gathers Outside Wrigleyville Police District Headquarters

The large demonstration seen earlier on Chicago's North Side has since moved East and has gathered outside the Chicago Police Department's 19th District headquarters in Wrigleyville.

The demonstrators are marching in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and calling for racial equality.

The protesters started in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood and video from Sky 5 showed the marchers heading South on Lincoln Ave before heading East toward Wrigleyville.

6:18 p.m.: Large Protest on Chicago's North Side

A large demonstration gathered on Chicago's North Side on Sunday for a Black Lives Matter march calling for an end to racial inequality.

Video of the protesters from helicopters show the large group marching through several North Side neighborhoods along Lincoln Avenue.

3:57 p.m.: Large Protest in West Suburban Cicero

Several demonstrators gathered in Cicero Sunday for a Black Lives Matter march and to call for an end to racial injustice.

Video from Sky 5 showed several people taking part in a peaceful march down Laramie Avenue.

1:40 p.m.: Aurora Area Regional Command Center Activated

As agencies across the suburbs monitor planned protests Sunday, officials in suburban Aurora say they've activated their Area Regional Command Center to help deploy resources if needed.

The command center enables first responders to coordinate resources in several communities, including Naperville and Elgin. Kane and Kendall counties are also part of the area served by the command center.

A curfew that had been in place in Aurora has been lifted, but some travel restrictions are still in place around Fox Valley Mall in the overnight hours, according to authorities.

12:40 p.m.: Mayor Lightfoot Lifts Citywide Curfew

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has officially lifted the city's 9 p.m. curfew, which had been put into place after looting and vandalism at businesses in the downtown area and on the south and west sides of the city.

"I know this time in our city and our country has been difficult for us all, and I'm grateful to our residents for working together to navigate this challenging time," the mayor said in a post to social media.

Earlier Sunday, city officials had reopened the Loop and the Central Business District. CTA service on bus and train lines also resumed in downtown.

The decisions come after several peaceful protests marched through different parts of the city on Saturday. One such protest in Union Park marched through the city, with more than 20,000 people estimated to have participated in the peaceful demonstration.

10:30 a.m.: Demonstrators Gather in Chatham

The Chicago-based advocacy group “My Block, My Hood, My City” is holding a peace march and food giveaway in the Chatham neighborhood on Sunday morning, and hundreds of people showed up for the event.

NBC 5 Reporter Lisa Chavarria was on the scene this morning:

After a peach march, food will be distributed in the 7800 block of South State Street at approximately 11:30 a.m., according to event organizers.

9 a.m.: Officials Restore Access to Loop, Central Business District

Authorities have begun restoring access to Chicago’s Loop and Central Business District following peaceful protests throughout Chicago on Saturday.

All entrance and exit ramps on area roadways, including Lake Shore Drive, Interstate 290 and Interstate 90/94, are reopened at this time, and numerous bridges in the downtown area have been lowered over the Chicago River to allow traffic to pass.

8:30 a.m.: CTA Trains Resume Service Through Downtown

Chicago Transit Authority officials say that CTA trains on the Red and Blue lines will once again make stops through the downtown area after having limited service on Saturday due to planned protests.

In addition, all downtown bus lines are resuming service after being restricted from entering the Central Business District and the Loop on Saturday.

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