Christmas Eve Day Protesters 'Shop for a New Mayor'

Protesters chanting “16 shots and a cover up” shut down Michigan Avenue in a planned protest Thursday over the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer last year, and claims of widespread injustice at the hands of the Chicago Police Department.

Many believe the police and the city engaged in a cover-up to protect the officer after the shooting and to hide evidence from the public. Protesters also chanted that they are “shopping for a new mayor” and repeated calls for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to resign.

About 100 protesters sought to prevent last-minute Christmas shoppers from entering stores along the Magnificent Mile, blocking entry to the Apple store, H&M, the Water Tower Place mall, and others. Thursday’s protest, dubbed “Black Christmas,” was more muted than the one that took place on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

“I think it’s an appropriate way to celebrate Christmas, which after all is about world peace, and there’s not only war all over the world, but there’s war going on in our city on the South and West sides,” Adam Gottlieb, 26, told the Chicago Tribune. Gottlieb attended the protest with his sister and parents.

Occasionally, protesters butted heads with police and store security as shoppers were blocked from entering stores. Two people were reportedly arrested. Police also grappled with activist and protest leader Jedidiah Brown.

“(Some shoppers) were kind of mad, but it’s not our fault, it’s Rahm’s fault,” Dontreal Widow, 20, of Hyde Park, told the Tribune. “Some of them understand where we’re coming from, but we want all of them to understand where we’re coming from.”

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• Police Radio Calls of Laquan McDonald Shooting Released: The audio recordings were given to Politico Illinois in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.