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Black Lives Matter Protesters Turned Away By Chicago Neighborhood Residents

Residents rejected demonstrators' planned protest at a police station.

A standoff between Black Lives Matter protesters and residents of Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood resulted in the demonstrators being told they were not welcome.

According to local station WFLD marchers had planned to picket the 7th District police station, but they were confronted by people in the community who asked them to leave.

“If they would’ve gotten something incited with the police, who’s gotta deal with it tomorrow? The community. Not them,” Englewood resident Duane Kidd told the Chicago Sun-Times. They’ll be somewhere sipping sangria somewhere. I’m telling you like it is.”

RELATED: Chicago Police Shooting Sparks Outrage and Unrest Along Magnificent Mile Shops

The frustration comes from the police shooting on Sunday of Latrell Allen, 20, who police allege fired a weapon at them. After the shooting, misinformation went through the area and soon unrest spread all the way to Downtown Chicago, where looting and property damage took place early Monday.

The demonstration was organized by groups including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Black Lives Matter, South Siders Organized for Unity and Liberation and Good Kids/Mad City, according to the Sun-Times. 

They were calling for an elected body to govern the Chicago Police Department, which would be identified as the Civilian Police Accountability Council, according to WFLD. But the Englewood residents had a problem with demonstrators from outside of the community coming into it without informing anyone there.

“If the people on 56th Street want to come over and protest the police, they can do it. But no one from the North Side or Indiana or any place other than Englewood can come here and do that,” said Englewood resident Darryl Smith, accordong to the Sun-Times.

“Y’all don’t come out when a kid gets shot. Y’all come out when it’s got something to do with the f------ police.”

RELATED: Black Lives Matter Hold Rally To Support People Arrested in Chicago Unrest

BET has been covering every angle of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other social justice cases and the subsequent aftermath and protests. For our continuing coverage, click here.

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