Marchers shut down streets in downtown Chicago to protest killing of George Floyd

A protest march over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis made its way through downtown Chicago Friday night, eventually closing off Ida B. Wells Parkway near the beginning of the Eisenhower Expressway. | Maudlyne Ihejirika/Sun-Times

Hundreds of marchers in Chicago joined the national outrage over the killing of a black man in Minneapolis police custody, hitting the streets in protest Friday evening.

Protestors, who gathered near Millennium Park around 5 p.m., held signs that read, “Justice 4 George” and “Black lives matter” as they marched against traffic on Michigan Avenue.

“Say his name! George Floyd!” they chanted.

They marched past Harold Washington Library and blocked the intersection of State Street and Ida B. Wells Parkway, then made their way west toward the start of the Eisenhower Expressway.

As of 8 p.m., Chicago police reported no arrests.

This is happening in Chicago as protests in response to the killing of Floyd are spreading across the nation; rallies and marches have been held in New York City, Washington D.C., Floyd’s hometown of Houston, Las Vegas and Minneapolis, among many other cities. While many of the protests have been peaceful, some have turned violent, especially in Minneapolis, where a police precinct station was set ablaze and stores were looted.

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was seen on video pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said.

Protesters and Chicago police officers during a march downtown Friday over the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd.

BREAKING .... #GeorgeFloyd #Protests #Downtown #CHICAGO pic.twitter.com/CJHlukFqz9

— Maudlyne Ihejirika (@maudlynei) May 29, 2020

Protest tonight in downtown Chicago#ICantBreath #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/IMk42SPFnY

— liz, mother of all perspectives (@lmcgrew) May 29, 2020

#BlackLivesMatter

Protest in downtown Chicago tonight pic.twitter.com/had3S33Cx2

— liz, mother of all perspectives (@lmcgrew) May 29, 2020

George Floyd protest reaches the I290 outside our place in Chicago. This was part of a bigger protest that moved south down Michigan Ave. They moved up the express ramp against the flow of traffic and blocked a crush of cars from exiting. pic.twitter.com/zf3kA4S10X

— Mark Schipper (@MyTimesProse) May 29, 2020

Chicago protest marched past Harold Washington library and is now blocking State/Congress.

Lots of police present and choppers in the air #GeorgeFloydprotest pic.twitter.com/bIgPTVemS6

— Gijs Mulders (@GijsMulders) May 29, 2020

Protest for #GeorgeFloyd starting now in Chicago. Our story on the national response coming up on @cbseveningnews pic.twitter.com/rRp0J0eL7g

— Adriana Diaz (@adrianasdiaz) May 29, 2020

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

A portrait of George Floyd is part of the memorial for him near the site where he was arrested in Minneapolis. He died in police custody Monday night. A video shared online by a bystander showed a white officer kneeling on his neck during his arrest as he pleaded that he couldn’t breathe.