CHICAGO _ Dueling protests Monday morning in Chicago responded to Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office's decision to drop all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.
Members of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police rallied outside the Cook County Administration Building, 69 W. Washington St., in response to last week's dropping of charges against Smollett. Groups including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression scheduled a counterprotest for 10:30 a.m. at the same location in response to the FOP's demonstration.
Earlier reports that a statewide prosecutor's group was co-sponsoring the FOP protest were incorrect.
"We are not going to allow the FOP, the Mayor and Eddie Johnson to use the Jussie Smollet case to beat us over the head with it," said Frank Chapman, co-chairperson of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Pokitical Repression.
"This is phony justice. Not one tomorrow the FOP or anyone of their I'll call a demonstration in defense of or promoting justice for Laquan MacDonald."
Mike MacDonald, 60, was among a large contingent of FOP-tied Foxx protesters brandishing signs. MacDonald, who carried a sign that read "Justice for sale in Crook County," said he's been in law enforcement for 35 years, and he's disappointed with how Foxx is running the office, especially how she handled the Smollett case.
"I don't think that justice was served at all." MacDonald said Smollet being released was an affront to the exact principle_upholding justice_he dedicated his career to.
The rallies are yet another development in the saga of the Smollett case.
The "Empire" actor, who is African-American and openly gay, has said he was walking from a Subway sandwich shop to his apartment in the 300 block of East North Water Street around 2 a.m. Jan. 29 when two men wearing masks attacked him, shouted racial and homophobic slurs and placed a noose around his neck.
Chicago police initially launched a hate crime investigation but eventually said their investigation showed Smollett, 36, staged the attack.
Foxx said in February that she was recusing herself in the case but has drawn criticism for never formally withdrawing from involvement.
Last week, prosecutors dropped all charges against Smollett in exchange for community service and his forfeiture of the $10,000 he had posted as bond. The decision, which Foxx has said she was not involved in, drew swift and scathing criticism from police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and from Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who called it a "whitewash of justice."
