Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reportedly snapped at a reporter for calling young rioters a “mob,” insisting they were just “large gatherings” — and that labeling the riots “mob actions” was inappropriate.
“That’s not appropriate,” the newly minted mayor said in response to a reporter’s question about trends like “mob actions” the city has endured.
“We’re not talking about mob actions. I didn’t say that,” Johnson barked back. “These large gatherings … it’s important that we speak of these dynamics in an appropriate way.”
Hundreds of rioters flooded Chicago’s South Loop late Sunday, when teens took over the area for the second time in just a few days — and looted a local convenience store, Fox News Digital reported.
The Chicago Police Department charged 40 “disorderly” people – 32 who were teens – with misdemeanors, for allegedly fighting, damaging vehicles, smashing a window and trying to loot a nearby store, according to the report.
Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Fred Waller said the group “crossed the line.” Several guns were reportedly found on the scene.
But Johnson, who took office in May, refused to acknowledge the youth violence as anything more than a “large gathering.”
“This is not to obfuscate what has taken place, but we have to be careful when we use language to describe certain behavior,” he said.
“There’s history in this city. To refer to children as ‘baby Al Capones’ is not appropriate.”
The infamous gangster’s crimes were so heinous he spent 11 years in the notorious Alcatraz lock-up. He was nicknamed “Public Enemy No. 1” for the murders of seven rival gang members in the Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929.
While Capone and his gang might now be a thing of the past, crime in Chicago is not.
Total crime in the Windy City was up 36% year-to-date as of July 30 – with motor vehicle theft up by a whopping 116%, statistics show. Every area of crime other than shootings and murders have seen an increase so far this year compared with last.
The city is no stranger to crowds that devolve into riots and looting — including in August 2020 and in the wake of the May 2020 police death of George Floyd.
