Leftist Chicago Mayor-Elect After Teenagers’ Violent Rampage Through City: Don’t ‘Demonize’ Them
By Hank Berrien
After teenagers went on a violent rampage in downtown Chicago Saturday night in which two people were shot, leftist Chicago mayor-elect Brandon Johnson said Sunday that people shouldn’t “demonize” the teenagers.
Over 100 teenagers participated in the violent activity, which included torching cars, engaging in a massive fight, and trying to breach police barricades. Two teenage boys, aged 16 and 17, were shot; 15 people were arrested.
But Johnson, the city’s mayor-elect, lectured critics of the teenagers, issuing a statement in which he said he did not “condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and the lakefront this weekend,” but then implied the teenagers’ behavior was not completely their fault, intoning, “However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”
“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 both welcome for both residents and visitors,” he continued, saying it was part of his “comprehensive approach to improve public safety and make Chicago livable for everyone.”
— Brandon Johnson (@Brandon4Chicago) April 16, 2023