Snelling addresses campus protests, upcoming DNC at final CCPSA hearing

CHICAGO — In a wide-ranging, town hall-style meeting, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling addressed the campus protests we’re seeing both nationwide and here in Chicago.

“We’re out there to make sure that people who want to protest can do it and exercise their first amendment,” said Snelling. “As long as they’re doing it peacefully, as long as there’s no violence.

“If you notice with our universities here, people are protesting peacefully … We’re not engaging them in a way that’s going to enflame what it is they’re trying to do. If people are just trying to have their voices heard, hey, this is America. It’s their choice and it’s our responsibility to protect them while they do it.”

This was the final hearing the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability (CCPSA) was required to hold with Snelling, and it came on a big day for the commission responsible for oversight.

Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed seven permanent commissioners, including interim President Anthony Driver Jr. and interim Vice-President Remel Terry, who was on the stage Tuesday tonight.

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Worth noting, the appointments won’t become official until they are confirmed by Chicago City Council.

Snelling was asked during the meeting how he’s preparing the department and the city for the Democratic National Convention this summer.

“We looked at every single problem we could have had in previously-large gatherings like this,” Snelling said. “Every single day our officers are in training and they’re getting multiple hours of training on first and fourth amendment – it’s embedded in every aspect of their training.”

Snelling also said CPD officers will protect the rights of peaceful protestors.

“Crime is not something we’re going to tolerate,” Snelling said. “Because the minute we start tolerating that, everything starts to break down … It turns into a riot.”

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