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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot confirmed Thursday that, though she “unequivocally support[s] and will always fight for the rights of individuals to peacefully protest on any issue,” this support doesn’t extend to people protesting in her neighborhood.
The confirmation came after the Chicago Tribune ran a bombshell report revealing that the Chicago Police Department has been blocking so-called “protesters” (or rioters, rather) from entering the mayor’s upscale neighborhood since at least July.
“The directive surfaced in a July email. … It did not distinguish between the peaceful protesters Lightfoot regularly says she supports and those who might intend to be destructive, but ordered that after a warning is given to demonstrators, ‘It should be locked down,'” the Tribune reported.
“As recently as Friday, dozens of protesters were turned away from the block after trying to march to the mayor’s house in support of local school councils voting Chicago police off their campuses. Barricades can be seen set aside for quick deployment even on days without demonstrations.”
Questioned later Thursday afternoon about the seemingly hypocritical directive, the mayor argued said that she, unlike the peasants, is special.
Listen:
“Given the threats that I personally receive, given the threats to my home and my family, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that they are protected, and I make no apologies whatsoever for that,” she said.
“I’ve seen the threats that have come in, and I have an obligation to keep my home, my wife, my 12-year-old, and my neighbors safe. … And I think that residents of the city, understanding the nature of the threats that we are receiving on a daily basis, understand that I have a right to make sure that my home is secure.”
Chicago’s municipal code reportedly prohibits protests in residential areas. But when asked by the Tribune to “list specific instances where the city enforced the residential protest ban aside from demonstrations near Lightfoot’s house,” CPD officials were unable to provide any.
Moreover, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown reportedly “acknowledged” outright that the department “does not always enforce” the ban, according to the Tribune.
“Brown said the city tries to give ‘wiggle room’ for protesters,” the paper reported.
It’s not clear why this “wiggle room” isn’t also being afforded to “protesters” who storm into Lightfoot’s upscale neighborhood.
All this comes weeks after Lightfoot responded to the initial and highly destructive George Floyd riots of late May and early June by expressing support for them.
Look:
Hundreds took to the streets yesterday to express their First Amendment right to protest. I unequivocally support and will always fight for the rights of individuals to peacefully protest on any issue.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 18, 2020
This sort of hypocrisy has been a constant since she took office in May of 2019 and was most apparent during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
After Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order that the mayor made clear she roundly supported, she went ahead and defied that order to get a haircut and then defended her hypocritical decision by again arguing that she is special.
Look:
I don’t have much time to myself these days, but I felt I needed to make sure everyone knows how I feel about this Stay at Home Order. Which one motivates you the most to stay at home? #StayHomeSaveLives pic.twitter.com/pDbCdySMQk
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) March 30, 2020
Mayor Lightfoot decided it was essential for her to get a haircut, but no one else can go out and get one. This doesn’t look like social distancing to us, why the hypocrisy @chicagosmayor? pic.twitter.com/iEi7zIqnwO
— Chicago GOP (@ChicagoGOP) April 6, 2020
“I’m the public face of this city! I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. I take my personal hygiene very seriously. I felt like I needed to have a haircut. I’m not able to do that myself, so I got a haircut,” she angrily said at the time.
Her hypocrisy was stunning then and, according to critics, is even more stunning now.
Look:
The hypocrisy is stunning!
— Lady Z🇺🇸✝️ (@lorizellmill) August 20, 2020
“But you residents are shit out of luck. It’s good to be queen. “
— Duchess of Queens AnnaD (@AnnaDsays) August 20, 2020
Proving once again it’s a different set of rules for our “Betters” than it is for us “lessers”. I wonder how many middle class black owned businesses have been destroyed by the rioters and looters and basically given the blessing of Mayor Grady!!
— Tom Thurman (@JTomThurman1) August 21, 2020
But other residents have to endure “peaceful protest” in their neighborhoods, or in front of their businesses. Maybe it’s time for a change of leadership Chicago, what the hell do you have to lose.
— Airborne87 (@HSAGreg) August 20, 2020
Welcome to “progressivism.”
One standard for the ruling elite.
Another for the masses.— Mr. Will (@RoscoenOtis) August 20, 2020
😂😂😂 amazing. i miss the days when elites had the decency to at least pretend there was an acceptable reason for their entitlement. nowadays they’re all ‘it is my right peasants!’ like that king in braveheart.
— Mike Karam (@mwkaram85) August 20, 2020
It’s as if she’s throwing a huge middle finger to every citizen of her city. She holds the power in her hands to protect them & stop the chaos, but refuses. Instead, she denies them that safety while using those resources to protect only herself while turning her back on Chicago.
— Kathy Hedgepeth (@KHedgepeth07) August 21, 2020
— All Your Votes Are Belong To USps (@BenignApathy) August 20, 2020
Adding to the hypocrisy is the fact that, when President Donald Trump offered to send federal troops into Chicago to quell the rioting and violence, she initially refused.
In a tweet posted on July 21st, three days after she voiced support for the riots, she accused the president of wanting to “terrorize” her residents.
Look:
Under no circumstances will I allow Donald Trump’s troops to come to Chicago and terrorize our residents.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 21, 2020
Yet she’s done so little to prevent Black Lives Matter and Antifa extremists from terrorizing her constituents’ neighborhoods that in one instance, local residents were forced to protect themselves by doing the authorities’ job for them.
Watch (*Language warning):
EPIC 🔥👏🏾 Black Residents of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood tell #blacklivesmatter they are not welcome in their community!.
“Y’all don’t ever show up when little kids & babies are being shot up (in gang violence)”
“We are not gonna let you destroy our Nieborhood” pic.twitter.com/nwrOWbxV4J
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) August 13, 2020
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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