Oak Lawn, IL – 50 people filled the chambers of the Oak Lawn Police and Fire Commission during its monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, August 5. They demanded the firing of officers involved in incidents of racism and an independent investigation by the attorney general into the police department.
Commissioner Jim Baker began the meeting by telling members of the public to “maintain order and respect.” He asked community members not to disrupt, referring to protests which have happened at every commission meeting since July 2022.
“You talk about respect and order, but where was the respect and order when your officers beat an Arab teenager nearly to death?” Nadiah Alyafai, organizer with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) stated in the public comments part of the meeting. She asked the commissioners about the beating of Hadi Abuatelah in 2022, which sparked monthly protests against the OLPDs racism.
“Where was the respect when you let a white woman get away with murdering Murod Kurdi?” Alyafai continued, referring to Leanne Cusack, who ran Murod Kurdi over after she had been drinking in 2023. Cusack's only consequence has been a $750 fine.
“Is that what the life of an Arab man is worth?” a 17-year-old AAAN member questioned the commissioners.
Several AAAN youth members spoke on the racism of OLPD and how the commission refused to hold the police accountable. All of them called on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to investigate and clean out OLPD.
“It's not just Arabs. Black and brown people experience the corruption of the OLPD too,” one AAAN youth member said.
“Our community has always come in with peaceful intentions and we're treated like criminals,” another youth member said, pointing out the irony that Oak Lawn police have inflicted racist violence on people protesting their racist violence in past meetings.
Ten minutes later, Commission Chairman Jim Baker sicced the police on a 14-year-old Arab boy.
“You forfeited your right to speak,” Baker said after the teenager called him a “fucking jackass” for his ongoing failure to pronounce Arab names.
Baker then motioned for police to remove the boy. Other community members, including the boy's mother, voiced their disapproval at this blatant violation of free speech. Police shoved the teenager, his mother, and other protesters out the meeting chambers and down the stairs. One officer held the boy in a chokehold and slammed him against a counter, and another twisted his mother's arm.
The 14-year-old sustained injuries to his neck, chest, arm and ankle and had to get treatment at a nearby hospital.
Commissioners adjourned the meeting without hearing any further comments. Protesters banged on the outside windows while chanting “Justice for Murod Kurdi!” and “How do you spell racist? OLPD!”
“OLPD assaulted a minor, choked him, slammed him. His only crime was saying the f-word,” AAAN organizer Muhammad Sankari addressed protesters after the chants. “If we don't stand up, the injustice that happened to Hadi and Murod is gonna keep happening over and over again.”
“We need to show up stronger at the next meeting and even stronger at the one after that,” Sankari said, and encouraged protesters to bring friends to the next commission meeting on September 2.
AAAN organizers also urged people to sign and share the petition demanding Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul investigate OLPD: bit.ly/investigateOLPD.
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