Chicago, IL – The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Black Lives Matter-Chicago are calling for a protest Monday, July 16, 6 p.m., at 71st and Jeffrey to demand Justice for Harith Augustus, who was shot in the back Saturday afternoon by a Chicago police officer.

On Saturday, July 14, an unidentified cop opened fire on Augustus as he was running away from cops who harassed him for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. Augustus was carrying a pistol that he was licensed to own. Within minutes of the shooting, the community in the South Shore neighborhood began to protest the murder. Residents of the area said that Augustus, or “Snoop” as he was known, was a barber, an easygoing guy, and the father of a five-year-old daughter.

As the protest grew at the scene on 71st and Jeffrey, the Chicago Police Department responded by aggressively pushing the crowd. They jumped their own barricades to beat protesters with batons, and four people were arrested. Even a reporter with the Chicago Sun Times was knocked down and struck by cops as they charged the protesting crowd. Protests continued for over seven hours after the shooting, and again on Sunday, protesters returned to the streets.

On Sunday July 15, CPD released a video that is meant to justify shooting Augustus. Aislinn Pulley, lead organizer with Black Lives Matter-Chicago, explained why they are still planning to protest. “CPD is continuing their tradition of immediately putting forth a narrative that criminalizes the person they killed and absolves the police for committing murder. CPD is the biggest gang in the city. The brutality CPD enacted on the community protesting Snoops’ execution is further illustration of the true violent role of the police, which is to quell uprising and protect the billionaire class from the just and righteous anger of the people for the unfair and murderous conditions they impose on us.”

Jazmine Salas, co-chair of the Stop Police Crimes committee of the Chicago Alliance, listed the demands of Monday’s action: “We demand the release of the officer’s name; her immediate arrest; the release of the names of all officers that attacked protesters last night and their arrest. And we demand that the police drop the charges against all protesters.”

Salas continued, “The protest also will raise the demand for community control of the police, in the form of the elected civilian police accountability council, CPAC, legislation which is currently in the city council.”

#ChicagoIL #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #ChicagoAllianceAgainstRacistAndPoliticalRepression #ChicagoPoliceDepartment #BlackLivesMatterChicago #HarithAugustus