Chicago protesters demand justice for Laquan McDonald
Hundreds of people have marched through the US city of Chicago to protest against police brutality and demand justice for an African-American teenager shot 16 times by a white police officer last year.
The protest came hours after Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke briefly appeared in court Friday afternoon on first-degree murder charges for fatally shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in October of 2014.
The demonstration began in Daley Plaza at 3:16 pm--symbolizing the 16 shots Van Dyke fired at McDonald—and was led by a line of children holding hands and chanting slogans against police.
The protesters held a moment of silence for the slain teenage boy.
They also demanded the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez because of their handling of the case.
"Show me what democracy looks like," one protester called out over a megaphone, according to The Chicago Tribune. "This is what democracy looks like," the crowd responded.
Similar to previous rallies in support of McDonald, the protesters often broke into shouts of: "16 shots and a cover up."
Several people were arrested by police officers.
A recently-released police video shows Van Dyke shooting McDonald for 15 seconds.
The disturbing video has triggered protests in Chicago and fueled a national debate about racism and the use of deadly force by police against black citizens.
Van Dyke was indicted on six counts of first-degree murder and one count of official misconduct.
Prosecutors decided to charge Van Dyke because he wasn’t facing an immediate threat from McDonald, and because he continued to fire at the teen as he lay on the ground after being shot.
The case marks the first time a Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty killing in almost 35 years.
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