Hundreds hold protests in Chicago over police killing of 13-year-old boy
April 17, 2021, 9:33 am

Hundreds hold protests in Chicago over police killing of 13-year-old boy

Protest in the aftermath of the death of 13-year-old-boy Adam Toledo, in Chicago. (Reuters)

Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago on Friday to protest the police shooting of Adam Toledo, a day after the city released a graphic video of a police officer shooting and killing the 13-year-old Latino boy in an alley two weeks ago. Chicago

Demonstrators chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot!” and “No justice, no peace!” while hoisting signs with messages such as “Justice for Adam Toledo” and “Stop Racist Police Terror!” in a march that remained peaceful as night fell.

The demonstrators observed a moment of silence and expressed solidarity with the boy’s relatives, who had implored protesters to remain peaceful. The rally began in Logan Square Park, about five miles (8 km) north of where the shooting occurred.

The nine-minute video, recorded by Eric Stillman’s body camera, shows showed the 34-year-old officer chasing and shooting Toledo on March 29 at 2:30 a.m. in Little Village, a working-class neighborhood on the city’s West Side with a large population of Mexican Americans.

Toledo appeared to be holding a handgun when he complied with Stillman’s order for him to stop. Toledo then dropped the weapon and raised his hands immediately before Stillman opened fire, the video showed.

The release of the video came as tensions are running high in Chicago and across the country over the issues of policing and racial justice.

Protest in the aftermath of the death of 13-year-old-boy Adam Toledo, in Chicago. (Reuters)

In the latest police-involved shootings of people of color, an officer in a Minneapolis suburb shot and killed a Black man during a traffic stop, and now faces a second-degree manslaughter charge. On Thursday, the defense rested its case in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd, whose death last year ignited a nationwide wave of protests.

The Chicago Police Department said in a statement it was closely monitoring events across the country and deployed additional resources throughout the city. The department said it has also canceled days off for police officers in several units and teams.

Businesses throughout the city boarded up windows over the past week in anticipation of possible riots and looting after the release of the video. The city saw widespread looting and rioting in the days and weeks following Floyd’s death last May.

Stillman, a five-year veteran of the force, is on administrative desk duty pending an investigation into the incident. He attorney was unavailable for comment on Friday.

John Catanzara, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police union, told CNN on Thursday that Stillman had only eight-tenths of a second to make the decision whether to shoot and his actions were justified.

“That officer’s actions were actually heroic,” he said.

A smaller protest blocked traffic on Thursday when largely peaceful demonstrators were met by helmeted officers on foot, social media images showed. Chicago

source: Reuters

Image source: Reuters

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.