Chicago police barred protesters from demonstrating outside the home of Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Asked about the issue at a press conference on Thursday, Lightfoot said that because of the amount of threats she receives, she sometimes needs heightened security.
“I think that residents of this city, understanding the nature of the threats that we are receiving on a daily basis, understand I have a right to make sure that my home is secure,” Lightfoot said, adding, “I’m not going to make any excuses for the fact that, given the threats I have personally received, given the threats to my home and my family, I’m going to do everything I can to make sure they’re protected.”
In recent days, Lightfoot’s city has been overwhelmed by incidents of looting. On Aug. 10, Chicago officials made the decision to raise bridges to the city’s downtown in an attempt to prevent looting from occurring in the city’s center.
One jewelry and gift shop owner told the Chicago Tribune that city officials “have to get a hold of the city again.” As she stood in front of her business, with its windows smashed, she said, “I feel like we are under attack and under siege.”
