Chicago, IL – The corporate media has missed what is most important about Chicago’s April 2 elections. Its focus on the uninspiring mayoral contest between Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot helped contribute to the lowest voter turnout ever. Only 29% of registered voters went to the polls.

Chicago, IL – A crowd of 20 rallied outside the office of 30th Ward Alderman Ariel Reboyras on March 20 to condemn his record of covering for police crimes and preventing justice for those victimized by police violence.

Chicago, IL – This week, Chicago saw elections for mayor and city council in which almost all the candidates ran on platforms opposing outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Progressive victories were won in a number of wards across the city, including by Maria Hadden, a young, Black, queer woman who unseated Joe Moore in the far Northside Rogers Park neighborhood. Moore had been a progressive 25 years ago but is now a staunch ally of the mayor and a defender of big money developers. Hadden was recently a board member of Black Youth Project 100, and hers was a major win for progressives in the first round of elections.

Chicago, IL – There are 212 candidates for the 50 seats in the February 19, 2019 Chicago city council elections. Of this total, 38 came out to a December 20 forum in support of an elected civilian police accountability council (CPAC). It’s unusual for so many candidates to be together in one room unless they’re seeking the support of a powerful union or political organization. But this wasn’t an endorsement session. The candidates came to join the movement establish community control over the Chicago Police Department.

Minneapolis, MN – For the final event in a week marking three years since Jamar Clark was killed by police, the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar (TCC4J) hosted an organizing meeting, November 17, titled, “JusticeThruJamar: Community Control of MPD – Making it Real!”

Struggle continues against police terror in Chicago

![Armanda Shackleford speaking](https://i.snap.as/MfeGwaPk.jpg “Armanda Shackleford speaking Armanda Shackleford speaking at hearing on the civilian component of the police accountability system in Chicago. She is the mother of Gerald Reed, tortured into confessing 27 years ago by members of the gang of cops under Detective Jon Burge.

(Photo by Mike Siviwe Elliott)”)

Chicago, IL – In the past two years in Chicago, over 50 cases of wrongful convictions have been thrown out of court, and most of the Black and Latino men involved have walked out of prison, or had their charges dismissed. These cases have been overturned because of the exposure of crimes by officers of the Chicago Police Department, including many cases of people’s confessions that were exacted through torture. According to attorneys involved in these cases, there are hundreds more that will be making their way through the courts in the coming years.

Chicago, IL – Juan and Rosendo Herndandez have been prisoners for 21 years. The two brothers were falsely accused of a murder by the notorious Detective Reynaldo Guevara, once head of the Gang Crimes Unit in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, and his partner, Joe Miedzianowski, who was convicted years ago for running a drug ring out of the Grand and Central police station. Miedzianowski was out to get Juan Herndandez to protect his drug ring. With no physical evidence linking them to the crime, Guevara framed them by manipulating eye witnesses to pick them out of a lineup.

Chicago, IL – City council allies of Mayor Rahm Emanuel held a hearing in the South Side neighborhood of Roseland Tuesday night, May 15, to consider several pieces of legislation on police accountability. They attempted to use a rigged process to smother the voices of the mainly Black movement for community control of the police. For six years, the movement has supported legislation to create an elected, civilian police accountability council (CPAC).

¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevistó al concejal Carlos Ramirez Rosa y Frank Chapman de la Alianza de Chicago contra la Represión Racista y Política sobre la lucha por un Concilio Elegido de Transparencia Policial (CPAC, por sus siglas en inglés). La legislación para establecer este concilio fue promovido por el concejal Rosa y otros ocho miembros del concilio de la cuidad de Chicago. ¡Lucha y Resiste!: Quiero pedir que usted exprese su opinión sobre la legislación de transparencia policial recién avanzada esta semana en el concilio municipal. Los concejales Osterman y Sawyer no han apoyado al CPAC, pero ahora están promoviendo un proyecto de ley para una comisión comunitaria de seguridad pública y de transparencia. ¿En su opinión, por que lo han hecho?