CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Several thousand protesters gathered in Union Park on Chicago’s Near West Side before taking to the streets in a march that stretched for blocks.
The march began as a rally, where several speakers and organizers from Activate Chi took to the stage to demand racial injustice toward Black lives end, the defunding of the Chicago Police Department, criminal prosecution of recent murders and more.
"All lives cannot matter until Black lives matter," a speaker told the crowd, which is one of the largest protest gatherings so far this week.
The event, called the Chicago March of Justice, invited speakers to share poetry, motivational speeches and list off demands while in the park. The group chanted "Defund the police, and "White silence is violence," along with several signs speaking out about racism, police accountability and the power of love and unity.
At Cabrini Green, organizers set up another stage and shared more speeches and chants, at which point an organizer told the crowd that it was 30,000 strong and "zero arrests."
"This is what democracy looks like," shouted the organizers for a call-and-response with the protesters.
The massive gathering is part of other protests happening around the world: Washington D.C., San Fransisco, Berlin, Sydney and other cities are taking part in the movement.