Several protests took place across Chicago Saturday to demand an end to racial injustice and police brutality. NBC 5’s Christian Farr reports.
In the latest steps to reopening the city following protests and looting that occurred last weekend, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot officially lifted a citywide curfew Sunday.
According to Lightfoot, the curfew is lifted effective immediately.
“I know this time in our city and our country has been difficult for us all, and I’m grateful to our residents for working together to navigate this challenging time,” Lightfoot said in a post on social media.
The mayor implemented the curfew last week amid widespread looting in the Loop and on the west and south sides of the city. Travel restrictions were also put place, and numerous street closures were implemented. Bridges over the Chicago River were also lifted to keep individuals from accessing the Loop and Central Business District.
On Sunday, those protocols were rolled back, with all interstate exits and ramps to and from Lake Shore Drive being reopened early this morning. CTA Red and Blue line service, which had been altered to eliminate stops in downtown, was fully restored as well, along with bus service in the affected areas.
The moves come after days of peaceful protests throughout the city, including in the Bronzeville neighborhood and in Uptown. Saturday drew thousands of protesters to Union Park and into the Loop for demonstrations, but no arrests were reported as the gatherings remained peaceful.
