Chicago protestors highlight concerns over police reform 5 years after George Floyd's death
CHICAGO () — Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer and dozens gathered at Federal Plaza in Chicago for a protest.
Five years ago, millions took to the streets around the country and around the world, protesting Floyd's death.
Sunday's protest, organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), claims there has been a lack of significant reform in the years since and claims things are regressing under the Trump administration.
'The Dems had the Senate and the House of Representatives, and they failed to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would essentially call for community control of the police, so yeah, it's a complete failure,' protestor Rania Salem said.
Protestors on Sunday also focused firmly on what's happening in Washington with President Donald Trump at the helm.
'We are out here saying, 'We won't go back.' We are not afraid of Donald Trump, we'll continue to fight back,' Frank Chapman, Executive Director of CAARPR, said.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration moved to cancel settlements with Minneapolis and Louisville that called for an overhaul of their police departments following Floyd's murder and the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor by police in Louisville on March 13, 2020.
The rally specifically targeted an executive order to empower law enforcement nationwide.
It aims to strength and expand legal protections for officers, seeks to enhance sentences for crimes against police, and promotes investment in security and capacity of prisons.
'What he's doing is he is reversing all that. Taking the gains we've got given with a teaspoon, he's taking it back with a shovel,' Chapman said.
MORE: How the murder of George Floyd changed America
'Repression has increased on all fronts. It's important we continue to mobilize and fight against all these injustices that are happening,' Salem said.
Protestors added that even those who don't feel under attack personally right now will eventually feel a trickle-down effect.
'It's going to be me and you one of these days if we don't fight back,' protestor Gregory Schalliol said.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Begich joins U.S. House Republicans in voting to claw back public broadcasting money
Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. At background are Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak (left) and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham (right). (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, joined congressional Republicans in a 214-212 vote Thursday to claw back $1.1 billion in previously approved federal funding for public broadcasting, including tens of millions of dollars intended for radio and TV stations in Alaska. The clawback, formally known as a rescission vote, was requested by President Donald Trump and does not take effect unless also approved by the U.S. Senate within 45 days. The rescission would be enormously significant for Alaska's public broadcasters, particularly those in rural Alaska. High Country News has reported that many of Alaska's rural public radio stations are heavily dependent upon funding from the federal government. A rescission would be even more significant than a budget cut, because it would instantly affect funding that has already been approved and included in local budgets. If Congress were to cut budgets going forward, stations might have at least some time to adapt. Stations on St. Paul Island, in Unalakleet, Sand Point and Talkeetna are among those that receive more than 70% of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the federally funded agency targeted by Thursday's vote. Stations in Sitka, Ketchikan, Petersburg and Haines are among those that receive at least a third of their support from the CPB. At KUCB-FM in Unalaska, the station would instantly lose nearly half of its funding and would have to eliminate original programming. The same would take place at KYUK-FM in Bethel, which stands to lose almost 70% of its revenue. On June 6, Alaska Public Media published a listing of knock-on effects, including the loss of the only local reporters in many rural parts of the state. Even in the state's urban centers, the funding loss would have devastating effects. KNBA-FM in Anchorage could have to stop production of National Native News and Native America Calling, two nationally syndicated programs that broadcast Alaska Native and American Indian news. In Juneau, the loss of funding would affect Gavel Alaska, the public broadcasts that cover legislative hearings in the state Capitol and elsewhere. Begich, in a written statement, said the rescissions package is 'a necessary step for restoring fiscal responsibility in our nation.' During his election campaign last year, Alaska's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives said reducing the national deficit was a priority. He recently voted for a bill that increases the national debt by an estimated $2.4 trillion. In Thursday's statement, Begich said that 'while rural communities have in the past been indirectly supported through state-sponsored media, we must acknowledge how far we have come in terms of connectivity since the birth of radio more than 120 years ago. Alaskan residents have embraced today's pervasive cellular, satellite, and wireline technologies, connecting rural communities to critical information and resources in rich and compelling ways. Importantly, however, emergency management funding from these budgets that is directed to rural communities has been preserved.' In addition to the impact on public broadcasters, the rescissions package eliminates billions of dollars in foreign aid. 'This rescissions package primarily targets ideologically-shaped foreign spending at USAID. Under both the Obama and Biden Administrations, USAID funding was misused to promote political and socially left policies abroad. This package helps refocus our support in ways that are consistent with America's core values, rather than promote the agendas of international bureaucracies and ideological NGOs,' Begich wrote. 'America has been built on principles of freedom of expression, self-determination, sovereignty, personal responsibility, and limited government. This package supports those values by rescinding $9.4 billion from programs that do not reflect the will of the taxpaying public,' his statement said. A poll commissioned by PBS earlier this year found that 65% of the public believes the public broadcaster is either adequately funded or underfunded. In the Senate, a simple majority vote will be needed to approve the rescissions package. Republicans occupy 53 seats in that chamber and Vice President J.D. Vance would cast any tiebreaking vote, meaning that four Republicans would have to oppose the funding reduction for it to fail. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has said she supports funding public broadcasting. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, while critical of NPR, has supported public broadcasting, particularly in rural Alaska. Trump has said that the rescissions request is the first of several that the White House budget office plans to submit. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Significant' expansion of nuclear waste compensation now in Trump's megabill
For years, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has been the face of a fight in Congress to reauthorize and expand access to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), which provides compensation to individuals exposed to nuclear waste. Now, Hawley has announced a breakthrough: reauthorization and expansion of the program in the Senate's version of the "One Big Beautiful Bill." If the Senate's version of the bill is finally adopted, it will include in it the largest expansion of the program since its inception in 1990, allowing individuals in regions of Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alaska, as well as the already-qualified "downwinders" exposed to nuclear radiation from the testing of the atomic bomb, to be compensated for exposure to toxic waste. In an exclusive phone interview with ABC News Thursday night, Hawley called the inclusion of the RECA provisions in the Senate's version of the megabill advancing President Donald Trump's legislative agenda a "huge step forward" in the fight to secure compensation for individuals affected by nuclear exposure. MORE: 5 possible changes that could hold up Trump's 'big beautiful bill' in the Senate "This will be, if we can get the Big Beautiful Bill passed, this will be a huge huge victory," the Missouri Republican said during the phone call. The proposed reauthorization of RECA will be included in the Senate Judiciary Committee's portion of the reconciliation package. In addition to expansion and reauthorization, the proposal also allows for claims to be used for increased levels of atmospheric testing and adds uranium mine workers who worked in the mines from 1971-1990 to be eligible for benefits under the bill. "There will be more to do," Hawley said. "But this is a very very significant expansion." Hawley has been engaged in attempting to reauthorize RECA for several years. Some of his constituents in St. Louis are affected by nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project that is currently stored in the West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri. One of those constituents is Dawn Chapman, who lives within miles of the West Lake Landfill and whose son and husband both suffer from autoimmune diseases as a result of exposure to the toxic waste near their home. Chapman has been to Capitol Hill several times over the last few years to advocate for families like hers. "Tonight, we know we are not alone," Chapman told ABC News Thursday. "With the help of Sen. Hawley and our community members as well as our other bipartisan REA family, we have been able to turn the lights back on, and make RECA bigger to cover more communities." For those affected by nuclear exposure, Hawley said he hopes this moment shows that the country is standing beside them. "I think it really is an incredible sign that the country is with them," Hawley said. "I think now this is a measure of vindication. It is a measure of appreciation." MORE: What to know about the national debt debate surrounding Trump's megabill The Senate has twice passed an expansion and reauthorization of RECA with bipartisan support, but the bill has failed to gain traction in the House, in part due to concerns about the very high price tag originally estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. That price tag has been refuted by proponents of the bill, and they've taken steps to modify it to lower the cost. With further review and with programs set to sunset in 2028, the price tag should, Hawley said, fit well within the funds allocated to the Judiciary Committee to craft their portion of the reconciliation package. The CBO has not yet scored this portion of the package. The Senate will still need to maneuver these provisions through the Senate's procedural rules test as well as the finnicky Senate GOP conference, but Hawley said Majority Leader John Thune has been an ally in including the RECA language in the package. Thune's support could be critical to keeping the language in the bill. "It would not be in this mark were it not for him and his commitment to putting it into reconciliation. He has been a terrific partner," Hawley said. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also conveyed that he "wants to pass the RECA bill," Hawley said. Inclusion in the bill would make it difficult for House Republicans to reject RECA provisions, given that the package is massive and includes many other GOP priorities. Hawley said he has spoken with Trump about the move to include this legislation in the tax and immigration bill. "He's been very involved in everything, and he and I have talked about the RECA program before on many occasions, we are glad for his involvement in all of this," Hawley said of his conversations with Trump. 'Significant' expansion of nuclear waste compensation now in Trump's megabill originally appeared on
The Hill
35 minutes ago
- The Hill
5 years after George Floyd: What we've learned from the ebbs and flows of progress
Five years ago, the world watched as George Floyd slowly died under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Brother Floyd was not the first Black man killed by an overzealous police officer, nor even the first caught on video. But the combination of his constant refrain of 'I can't breathe' and the expression of utter disregard for human life demonstrated on Officer Chauvin's face etched this moment into the consciousness of our nation. Floyd's murder ignited nationwide protests, the largest since the civil rights movement. In communities large and small, people marched in fury and in grief, demanding justice not only for George Floyd but for every life cut short by police violence. They called for something deeper: an end to the systemic racism that has brutalized Black communities for centuries. For a while, it felt like real change was possible. Cities debated reducing bloated police budgets and investing in addressing the root causes of violence in our communities. Corporations made commitments to racial equity. Politicians, even some who had long ignored calls for reform, found their voices and joined the chorus calling for change. Unfortunately, as in every era when victories against racism have been won, the backlash against reforms came swiftly. We are seeing that now. But our fight for justice must continue. Over the past five years, we have witnessed an aggressive effort to claw back not just the gains from 2020 but decades of progress on racial equity. Politicians and media figures turned 'wokeness' into a slur. In 2022, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law the 'Stop W.O.K.E. Act,' restricting schools and workplaces from providing education about systemic racism, and thousands of books about race and marginalized people were banned. Corporations eager to support equity initiatives in the aftermath of Floyd's murder appeared relieved to be freed of the responsibility for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility by the edicts of Project 2025 and the current administration's flood of executive orders. In abandoning these responsibilities, they also abandoned people as they rushed to curry favor with politicians. This backlash of hate and bigotry, the abandonment of principles of equity and fairness, the flaming of fear, and the theology of scarcity cannot stand. Every step toward reform is met with retrenchment, a doubling down on the very racist and unfair systems we seek to dismantle. After Reconstruction came Jim Crow. After the civil rights movement came mass incarceration. And, after Barack Obama and Black Lives Matter came Project 2025. Despite this reactionary tide, we must remember the many victories we have won, and understand deep in our being that there is no victory without a fight. Illinois, where I live, was one of the few states to take real, tangible action in the wake of the 2020 uprisings. While much of the country settled for symbolic gestures, the Illinois legislative Black caucus championed and secured the passage of several omnibus bills aimed at addressing systemic racism throughout our state. Among them was one of the most ambitious packages of criminal justice reforms in recent memory. Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate the use of money bond, ending a system where freedom was bought and sold, which disproportionately harmed Black and minority communities. Guardians of the status quo prophesied chaos and destruction, and stoked the flames of fear and division; yet, a year later, crime rates are dropping, and individuals accused of crimes are appearing in court as required. Results prove that centering safety and justice works. Ending the outdated and absurd practice of forcing people to purchase their freedom while awaiting trial was a direct response to calls for systemic change. It demonstrated what is possible when we collectively raise good trouble. It serves as proof of democracy in action, showing that public outcry can lead to concrete policy shifts and that marches can result in tangible legislative changes. Good trouble, or Holy mischief, is not just a civic ethic but a spiritual principle central to the ministry of Jesus. Pretrial fairness demands that those who claim a faith tradition consider: do we believe in compassion, redemption, restoration and equity, or is our faith nothing more than a hollow trinket used for personal status and psychological comfort? But Illinois was an exception, not the rule. Across the country, police budgets have ballooned, and reform measures have been walked back. Still, that revolutionary summer of 2020 mattered. It demonstrated the strength of collective action, even in the midst of a global pandemic. It reminded us that millions of people from diverse races, classes and ethnicities were willing to leave their homes and publicly declare that this is not the country we want to live in. These are not our values. We can do better. The backlash has been loud, but we can be louder. We must remember that half of the country didn't vote for the current administration and that most Democrats, along with a quarter of Republicans, believe we could do more to advance racial equality. And we can. We must keep pushing the needle forward, just as generations before us did. The fight for racial justice will take time. It may feel hopeless at times. But that hopelessness becomes real only if we silently comply. With our nation once again at a historic crossroads, it is essential for us to recommit to uprooting racism and resisting forces that seek to dismantle our democracy. The future of our country depends on it. Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III is the senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
