Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson defended teenagers after a large group of youngsters decided to wreak havoc in the city. A group of juveniles gathered around the Millennium Park area for a Teen Takeover event on Saturday night.
Things went out of control after the group began rioting. Teenagers were seen vandalizing public property and local businesses, as well as burning various vehicles in a wild state of frenzy. Two young boys were shot and had to be taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
After two days of unrest, police were able to bring peace to the city. Mayor Johnson addressed the incident in his recent speech, where he told the citizens:
“Demonizing children is wrong. We have to keep them safe as well.”
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson doubles down on his defense of the teen rioters who looted and beat citizens.
Here is what Johnson has had to say (so far) to these violent criminals:
"It is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities… pic.twitter.com/Z2vGe2FHEh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 20, 2023
Brandon Johnson said the youth is starved of opportunities in their communities
Brandon Johnson is a Democrat politician who got appointed as the Chicago mayor earlier this month. The mayor issued a statement on Sunday, where he criticized the incident but defended the young rioters. He said:
“In no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this weekend. It is unacceptable and has no place in our city. However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
JUST IN: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has released a statement on the crowds Saturday night in the Loop. https://t.co/uqHge6F83H @Brandon4Chicago pic.twitter.com/8QwQaq4QNe
— Andrew Smith (@AndrewSmithNews) April 16, 2023
Johnson further added that his government is looking to “improve public safety and make Chicago livable for everyone.” He said :
“Our city must work together to create spaces for youth to gather safely and responsibly, under adult guidance and supervision, to ensure that every part of our city remains welcome for both residents and visitors.”
Johnson views were heavily criticized by people on Twitter. Here are some of the tweets regarding the comment:
Note in Brandon Johnson’s statement, he implied Black youth downtown this past weekend were victims not aggressors. It’s reminiscent of everything he says.
When you continually beat someone over the head with a lie like this, they eventually will believe it. It’s very dangerous. pic.twitter.com/NDnZTygauc
— Chicago is Toast (@Chicagos_Toast) April 18, 2023
https://twitter.com/eyeslilopn/status/1648545136303898631
Brandon Johnson has to tell us what his PLAN is to STOP this NOW! Everyone deserves to be safe downtown. His statement was unacceptable.
— Blu Artiste🇺🇸🇮🇪 🌊🌊🌊🌴 (@mjbjes) April 18, 2023
Brandon Johnson (Mayor Chicago) in his statement about the children that mobbed the city destroying property and causing mayhem.
He states he does not CONDONE this behavior, and in the next breath, instead of condemning those who broke the law, he defends them, with that…— Kymberli Coggin (@onfire2023) April 17, 2023
Chicago’s outgoing mayor Lori Lightfoot also shared her views on the incident. In her statement regarding the “Teenage Takeover,” Lightfoot said:
“As I have said before, we as a city cannot and will not allow any of our public spaces to become a platform for criminal conduct.”
Lightfoot added that while many gathered outside the park for a fun time, and enjoyed the warm weather, others showed “reckless, disrespectful, and unlawful behavior.” She explained:
“Most importantly, parents and guardians must know where their children are and be responsible for their actions. Instilling the important values of respect for people and property must begin at home.”
She further added:
“We have invested millions of dollars to support community-based organizations to partner with a youth to co-activate fun, safe spaces all over the City throughout the year. We ask parents to partner with us by making sure that their children’s plans are safe and that they know when to exit a situation before it becomes unsafe.”
Teen Takeover ended with 2 getting shot and 15 arrested individuals
The Teen Takeover event was organized on social media, where minors and young adults stepped outside to cause unrest in the city. People were seen vandalizing property, smashing windows, burning vehicles, fighting with cops, and beating up strangers. Some youngsters even climbed and danced on top of city buses.
During the chaos, two minors aged 16 and 17 were shot in an open fire. One was shot in the right arm, while the other was shot in the left leg. While no arrests have been made regarding the shooting incident, close to 15 people were arrested during the unrest, including nine adults and six juveniles.
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