Hundreds hold protests in Chicago over police killing of 13-year-old boy
April 17, 2021, 9:33 am

Hundreds hold protests in Chicago over police killing of 13-year-old boy

Protest in the aftermath of the death of 13-year-old-boy Adam Toledo, in Chicago. (Reuters)

Hundreds marched through the streets of Chicago on Friday to protest the police shooting of Adam Toledo, a day after the city released a graphic video of a police officer shooting and killing the 13-year-old Latino boy in an alley two weeks ago. Chicago

Demonstrators chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot!” and “No justice, no peace!” while hoisting signs with messages such as “Justice for Adam Toledo” and “Stop Racist Police Terror!” in a march that remained peaceful as night fell.

The demonstrators observed a moment of silence and expressed solidarity with the boy’s relatives, who had implored protesters to remain peaceful. The rally began in Logan Square Park, about five miles (8 km) north of where the shooting occurred.

The nine-minute video, recorded by Eric Stillman’s body camera, shows showed the 34-year-old officer chasing and shooting Toledo on March 29 at 2:30 a.m. in Little Village, a working-class neighborhood on the city’s West Side with a large population of Mexican Americans.

Toledo appeared to be holding a handgun when he complied with Stillman’s order for him to stop. Toledo then dropped the weapon and raised his hands immediately before Stillman opened fire, the video showed.

The release of the video came as tensions are running high in Chicago and across the country over the issues of policing and racial justice.

Protest in the aftermath of the death of 13-year-old-boy Adam Toledo, in Chicago. (Reuters)

In the latest police-involved shootings of people of color, an officer in a Minneapolis suburb shot and killed a Black man during a traffic stop, and now faces a second-degree manslaughter charge. On Thursday, the defense rested its case in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd, whose death last year ignited a nationwide wave of protests.

The Chicago Police Department said in a statement it was closely monitoring events across the country and deployed additional resources throughout the city. The department said it has also canceled days off for police officers in several units and teams.

Businesses throughout the city boarded up windows over the past week in anticipation of possible riots and looting after the release of the video. The city saw widespread looting and rioting in the days and weeks following Floyd’s death last May.

Stillman, a five-year veteran of the force, is on administrative desk duty pending an investigation into the incident. He attorney was unavailable for comment on Friday.

John Catanzara, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police union, told CNN on Thursday that Stillman had only eight-tenths of a second to make the decision whether to shoot and his actions were justified.

“That officer’s actions were actually heroic,” he said.

A smaller protest blocked traffic on Thursday when largely peaceful demonstrators were met by helmeted officers on foot, social media images showed. Chicago

source: Reuters

Image source: Reuters

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”