Protests Occurring in the Loop
Chicago is subject to a lot of protests that have been occurring. This has especially picked up on Wednesday, when large crowds swarmed the streets of downtown Chicago. They were in major support of the Palestinians that are dying because of the war that is currently happening in Israel. Additionally, many of them were protesting because of an attack, where more than 500 people died because of an explosion in a hospital. People are especially enraged because of this attack, as attacking a hospital is completely out of order.
These protests are most likely going to continue occurring throughout the weekend, as tensions escalate in the middle east. “Thousands of people demonstrated Wednesday in Chicago’s Federal Plaza and in front of the Israeli Consulate in support of Palestinians who are dying in the intensifying clash in the Middle East,” according to Pantagraph.com.
Officer Taking Part in Protest
During these protests that took place on Wednesday, there was one particular detail that stood out to the Chicago Police. There was a person that was wearing a police uniform, who was taking part in the protest that was occurring in the loop. “The man waved a Palestinian flag and a police flag and chanted, ‘Free, free Palestine,” according to WordPress. However, Chicago Police is trying to figure out if there were any rules that were broken after performing this act. There are also no reports of who this man actually is.
There could be charges pending if there were rules broken, but the Chicago police still has to perform an investigation into this act. “The Chicago Police Department has launched an investigation into whether a man wearing a police uniform during a Palestinian demonstration against Israel’s actions in Gaza violated police policy, a spokesperson said Thursday,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times. However, there has been some investigation that has been taken into the uniform the man was wearing. It was certainly not something from the present.
What Exactly Are The Rules For an Officer?
There are certain rules that an officer has to follow, especially when taking part in something of this nature. This is also something that they sign and promise from the beginning of their policing career. However, there have been several instances where officers have broken the rules, and ended up getting sentenced because of it. This may be another one of those instances, but not much information has been published to the public. The rules for an officer are as follows:
- “Wear a uniform or any part thereof that identifies the person as a Chicago Police Officer.”
- “Use Chicago Police Department property (including facilities, vehicles, equipment, records, documents, video recordings, audio recordings, or photographs).”
- “Make or show others that he is carrying a badge, baton or gun.”
- “Behave as a Chicago police officer.”
The Future of These Wars and this Officer
It is unknown what the consequences will be if this officer is found guilty of committing a crime. However, it is also unknown if a crime has even been committed in the first place. Additionally, these wars are certainly coming out of hand, and something needs to be done to achieve a level of peace in the world.
However, the fact that there are so many people that are showing a lot of support from so far away, is heartwarming considering the circumstances. Therefore, only time will tell how the wars will finish, but as of now it does not seem that the wars are nearing an end anytime soon. Many hope that the future is different for everyone.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
Chicago Sun-Times: Man in Chicago police uniform at Palestinian march in Loop spurs CPD investigation
WordPress: Man wearing Chicago police uniform during Palestinian Loop march prompts CPD investigation
Pantagraph.com: Thousands protest in Chicago in support of Palestinians as conflict escalates
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Michael Kappel’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Richard Ashurst’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
