(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey on Wednesday came to Washington Park, the scene of a fatal mass shooting this week, though not everyone appreciated the stop.
Bailey was again criticizing a new state law called the SAFE-T Act that will end cash bail in Illinois. He said his opponent, Gov. JB Pritzker; Chicago’s mayor and the Cook County state’s attorney are the “the three musketeers of crime, chaos and dysfunction.”
"Thirty bullet casings were actually swept up in the street just near where we're standing," Bailey, a state senator and farmer from Southern Illinois, said during an appearance. "How many people need to be shot before Lori Lightfoot, JB Pritzker and Kim Foxx do something?"
But the press conference in the park drew the attention of violence interrupters from the group Acclivus and Janette Wilson of Rainbow PUSH, who accused Bailey and his running mate Stephanie Trussell of exploiting the shooting.
“You’ve never been in this community before, doing anything,” Wilson said.
Trussell responded: “When was the last time JB Pritzker was in this community?”
“He comes all the time,” Wilson said.
She said doesn’t want the neighborhood being used for political purposes, “as a theater.”
Acclivus gets funding from the state for its work in conflict mediation and de-escalating violence. Members criticized Bailey for voting against the funds.
Bailey is renting an apartment at the former John Hancock Center. He said he needs a central location for news conferences like the one he held Wednesday. He also said he wants to meet Chicagoans and learn about the city.
Related
Related
