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March for policing reform planned in downtown Chicago

People attend a peace walk honoring the life of police shooting victim 13-year-old Adam Toledo, Sunday, April 18, 2021, in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood. (AP Photo/Shafkat Anowar)

CHICAGO (AP) — People plan to protest Saturday in downtown Chicago to call for changes in the city’s policing.

The demonstration organized by Activate-Chi is scheduled to begin with a noon rally at Daley Plaza followed by a march along downtown streets.


Organizers plan to end the event with a vigil for people who have been killed by police, including Daunte Wright, a Black 20-year-old man who was shot this month by a white suburban Minneapolis officer, and Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Latino boy who was shot last month by a Chicago police officer after a foot chase.

A Facebook event advertising the march said it’s intended to push for “major reforms” in the Chicago Police Department.

Activate:Chi’s priorities include changes to state and city law on policing, the removal of police from Chicago’s public schools and cuts to the department’s budget to free up money for social services.

Activists have organized other protests and marches around Chicago since the April 15 release of body camera footage of the officer who shot Toledo. The footage showed Officer Eric Stillman shoot Toledo less than a second after the boy dropped a gun and began turning toward the officer while raising his hands.

Stillman chased the boy down a dark alley on March 29 after responding to a call about gunshots.