Protesters call for justice for McDonald, press mayor to resign

Protesters in the US city of Chicago continue to call for justice for an African-American teenager shot 16 times by a white police officer last year, demanding the resignation of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The family of Laquan McDonald joined the call for change Friday in policing in the city and nationwide, weeks after a video of the 2014 killing emerged.

The footage was kept from the public until last month and was released upon a judge’s order. The police dashcam video came hours after officer Jason Van Dyke was ordered to be held without bond on a first-degree murder charge.

Prosecutors decided to charge Van Dyke because he was not facing an immediate threat from McDonald, and because he continued to fire at the teen as he lay on the ground after being shot.

Police stripped Van Dyke of his police powers after the shooting and put him on paid desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

The case marks the first time a Chicago police officer has been charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty fatality in nearly 35 years.

The Rev Marvin Hunter, McDonald’s great-uncle, said at a news conference Friday that “what we’re feeling in Chicago is the real feeling of America itself, and that’s injustice against people of color.”

Members of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a group of religious and social organizations led by Rev. Jesse Jackson, marched around City Hall in the afternoon and a separate group of demonstrators blocked traffic on Lake Shore Drive during the evening rush hour.

The demonstrators at City Hall called for Mayor Emanuel to submit to a special hearing about his handling of the case, and others called for his resignation.

Many protesters said they believed the mayor was complicit in the "cover-up" of the incident.

"He has no credibility. It's going to be very hard for the next three and a half years he has remaining on his term. He's losing the confidence of the people," said Sylvester Boyd, a protester.

A third group held a vigil Friday evening to remember victims of gun violence at Daley Plaza.

The day before, student protesters staged a "die-in" at Daley Plaza. They lay on the ground for 16 minutes, representing the number of times McDonald was shot.

Police brutality against minorities in the United States has long been a major point of concern, resulting in large-scale demonstrations across the country and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

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