Englewood residents kick protesters out of their neighborhood

“Activists” who have been elected by nobody often claim to represent whole communities. Sometimes those people push back. This happened last week in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. Protesters arrived to protest the fully justified shooting of a person who shot at the police first. The residents had other ideas, Tia Ewing reports for Fox 32 Chicago.

After some tense moments in Englewood, a standoff between residents and protesters has ended peacefully.

A protest Tuesday started over a Chicago police-involved shooting and ended when Englewood residents pushed back. Expletives were dropped, and there was pushing and shoving, which forced the protesters to retreat.

A caravan started on 64th and Cottage Grove, and the protesters eventually ended up in front of the 7th District police station, but it didn’t last long.

“If you ain’t from Englewood, get the F*** out of here,” longtime neighborhood resident Darryl Smith told protesters.

Of course we do not condone use of force, even as little as pushing and shoving, but that is so mild in comparison to the levels of violence and destruction that are now routine on the other side as to be of little significance.

Smith is very passionate about his community. It makes sense because he’s never left Englewood.

“I’ve lived in Englewood 51 years,” he said.

His anger stems from Sunday when Chicago police shot 20-year-old Latrell Allen. Police claim the young man fired at them first on 56th and Aberdeen in Englewood.

“First time they heard something he was 15. He got shot and a lady got shot. It goes to social media and you have to learn the facts, you have to have facts in this matter,” Smith said.

Police believe the shooting of Allen and tension at the scene with neighborhood residents sparked looting in downtown and on the Gold Coast.

“A lot of people saying the looting started because of Englewood. We are tired of Englewood getting a black eye, those people were opportunist,” Smith said.

He says he’s not buying it and he and other Englewood residents had wanted the protesters from Black Lives Matter Chicago, Good Kids Mad City and other groups to leave.

After some tense moments, the protesters were sent packing, marching away from the 7th District police station.