CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will activate more than 100 National Guard members to stand by as support for Chicago police as a verdict nears in the Derek Chauvin trial.
The 125 soldiers — sent at the request of Chicago officials — will be on hand beginning Tuesday as part of a “limited mission,” the governor’s office said Monday.
The National Guard members will help manage street closures and will not interfere with peaceful protests, Pritzker said. In addition, state police troopers will assist Chicago police, officials said.
“It is critical that those who wish to peacefully protest against the systemic racism and injustice that holds back too many of our communities continue to be able to do so,” Pritzker said in a news release. “Members of the Guard and the Illinois State Police will support the City of Chicago’s efforts to protect the rights of peaceful protestors and keep our families safe.”
Illinois National Guard members arriving in Chicago are from the 33rd Military Police Battalion and specially trained in riot control operations, the governor’s office said.
The murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin was entering the jury phase on Monday. Chauvin, who is white, and three other ex-officers are blamed in the death of Black man George Floyd last year during an arrest.
Floyd’s death spurred unrest across the nation. Some protests, as in Chicago, turned violent and devolved into looting.
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