Large crowds take over downtown Chicago streets in situation alderman calls out of control
Large crowds and lots of flashing police lights filled the Loop Wednesday night.
Video submitted to the Citizen app shows a group milling about near Wabash Avenue and Randolph Street near the Loop 'L' tracks. The video does not make clear what the group is doing, but sirens are heard in the background.
The fighting went on along State Street as well.
Chicago police officers, Cook County Sheriff's deputies, and Chicago firefighters responded to the scene. A few people were seen being put into handcuffs, and someone was also seen being wheeled away on a stretcher.
Another person is seen washing their eyes out with water.
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said the mayhem downtown Wednesday night was not an organized teen takeover event like other times. Instead, Hopkins believes the crowd grew from smaller groups who are out of school for spring break.
Hiopkins said at least one person was sent to the hospital from an injury suffered during a fight.
Seven people were arrested in the Loop, and 24 teens were cited for curfew violations when curfew went into effect at 10 p.m., Hopkins said.
Hopkins said there was also an arrest outside the Wrigley Building, 400-410 N. Michigan Ave., for aggravated battery on police officers.
Hopkins called the situation "out of control," and said it only calmed down once curfew was ordered.
"When they began making curfew apprehensions, the teens began to leave and started to wind down, so once again, it's definitive proof that curfews can work," said Hopkins.
Hopkins has been behind more than one measure that would have introduced snap teen curfews for downtown Chicago.
His first proposal, which allowed just 30 minutes' notice of temporary teen curfews ordered by police, was vetoed by Mayor Johnson. The mayor said giving officers the right to sweep young people off the street could spark lawsuits and damage the relationship with the community.
A revamped measure introduced in December of last year would allow the Chicago police superintendent to issue a curfew for minors with 12 hours' notice, after consulting the deputy mayor for community safety. The City Council delayed a vote on that measure in January after last-minute changes.
Community activist Sandie Norman said she saw hundreds of young people on the streets Wednesday night with no structured activities and no safe place to go.
"I saw hundreds of youth. When I got here, we had youth definitely spiraling out of control," Norman said Thursday morning. "There were youth that were fighting, and just, you know, kids all over the place."
Norman said she calmed down some of the teens who were getting aggravated, and even drove some young people home.
"Some of the kids out here, you know, they're trying to have a good time. They want to gather. They don't have money. They don't have the bare necessities to really have a good time," Norman said, "so you got kids coming down here hopping trains. Just a lot of, you know, chaos."
Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling has praised Norman's work in the past.
Norman pointed out that Mayor Brandon Johnson fired his deputy mayor of community safety, Garien Gatewood, a week ago.
Johnson created Gatewood's position just days after taking office in 2023. Gatewood had been tasked with overseeing the Johnson administration's efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence in Chicago and coming up with a plan for public safety.
According to Gatewood, the mayor also fired his director of violence prevention, Manny Whitfield, likewise without an explanation.
The mayor has not been clear on why he axed those people in those public safety positions, but the has said he is committed to his plan of reducing crime by investing in summer youth jobs programs.
It is worth noting that Chicago Public Schools are on spring break this week.