Demonstrations and celebrations have broken out across the city of Chicago after media outlets projected that former Vice President Joe Biden had defeated President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Biden was projected as the winner of Pennsylvania and Nevada by NBC News on Saturday, giving him enough electoral votes to become president in January.
Here are the latest details from the city amid the ongoing celebrations:
President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris Address America
This evening, the kid from Scranton took center stage. Joe Biden, a former city council member, U.S. Senator and vice president, addressed the people of the United States as president-elect.
"Folks, the people of this nation have spoken they've delivered us a clear victory, a convincing victory. A victory for We The People. We've won with the most votes ever cast for a presidential ticket in the history of the nation," Biden said.
"I sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation, the middle class, and to make America be respected around the world again," Biden added.
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Referencing the political and cultural division in America, Biden again said he would be a president for all Americans, whether or not they voted for him.
"For all you who voted for President Trump, I understand the disappointment. I’ve lost a couple elections myself. But now let’s give each other a chance," Biden said. "We have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies. They are Americans."
A theme Biden repeated throughout his speech was that the vitriol and hatred between Americans must end if the country is to endure.
Biden spoke after Vice President-elect Kamala Harris from the campaign headquarters at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, Saturday night.
Harris began her speech by quoting late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, an icon of the Civil Rights movement.
"'Democracy is not a state. It is an act.' -- and what he meant was that America's democracy is not guaranteed. It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it," Harris said.
Harris thanked the poll workers and election officials throughout the country to assure all votes are counted.
"Our nation owes you a debt of gratitude," Harris said. "You have protected the integrity of our democracy."
Lightfoot Takes to Chicago Streets with Bullhorn Message After Biden Wins Presidency
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to the Chicago streets Saturday, using a bullhorn to give a message to the public after Joe Biden becomes the nation's President-elect.
Lightfoot said Biden's win this weekend happened because of the American people, holding Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris accountable to their promises.
"We need resources to fight this plague. We need resources to stop people living on the streets. We need resources to make sure people are not evicted and not thrown out of housing. We need to make sure we can do everything we can to make that happen," Lightfoot said.
She added that Americans need to figure out a way to unite as a country and "make room at the table of governance" for people with differing views and opinions.
Here's a Look at Chicago Celebrations Saturday
Photos: Photos Show Chicagoans Celebrating Joe Biden's Apparent Election Win
Rolling Street Closures in Chicago's Loop Due to March
Chicago officials warned of rolling street closures in the city's Loop as marchers make their way north on Dearborn. Earlier, officials warned of similar closures on Michigan Avenue.
"America is Back:" Lightfoot Reacts After Biden Projected to Win Election
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot addressed media Saturday following the apparent election of President-elect Joe Biden, calling it an important day for the United States.
“Make no mistake: America is back,” Lightfoot said.
The projection, made by NBC News and other media outlets, that Biden had won the election sparked celebrations across the country, including in Chicago. Street closures were reported along Michigan Avenue due to revelers celebrating, and several CTA bus lines were rerouted in the Loop as a result.
“This election opens up boundless possibilities for the return of science, the rule of law, respect for civil rights and respect for our most vulnerable residents and communities,” she said. “I believe very deeply that we are a country with a generous and compassionate heart, and we will soon have leadership in the White House that reflects those values.”
CTA Announces More Bus Reroutes Due to Celebrations
CTA officials are adding several more bus routes to their list of schedule adjustments amid ongoing celebrations following the apparent election of President-elect Joe Biden.
Here are the latest reroutes:
-146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
-147 Outer Drive/Michigan Express
-151 Sheridan
All three of those lines have been rerouted due to road closures on Michigan Avenue Saturday afternoon.
Rolling Road Closures on Michigan Avenue Amid Ongoing Celebrations
According to OEMC, city officials are organizing rolling road closures along Michigan Avenue due to ongoing marches and celebrations following the news that President-elect Joe Biden was projected to defeat President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
The closures are starting at Ida B. Wells Drive and will be moved southward, the office said.
Mayor Lightfoot to Address Public Amid Celebrations
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will hold a press conference Saturday afternoon to address celebrations going on in the city after media outlets projected former VP Joe Biden would win the 2020 presidential election.
Lightfoot issued a statement earlier Saturday congratulating Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their apparent victory. The projections of victory set off celebrations in Chicago and other cities around the U.S.
We will carry the mayor's press conference in the video player above.
Halsted Closed in Lake View Amid Ongoing Celebrations
The Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications announced that North Halsted is closed between Roscoe and Cornelia amid ongoing celebrations following the Biden-Harris news Saturday.
Gov. Pritzker Spotted Celebrating Biden-Harris Win in Lake View
NBC 5 viewer Max Nardini was in Lake View Saturday afternoon when he spotted Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker walking down a sidewalk near celebrations following the projected victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 presidential election:
Pritzker had been in isolation after he and his staff had been in a meeting with a person who later tested positive for coronavirus. Pritzker tested negative for the virus on Wednesday and again via PCR test on Friday, and since his exposure to the individual did not fall within the 48-hour window prior to symptoms being shown, he is not required to quarantine, according to his press office and CDC guidelines.
CTA Reroutes Continue, Along With Downtown Street Closures
As crowds gather in downtown following the announcement that President-elect Joe Biden is now projected to beat President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, multiple street closures and CTA schedule changes remain in effect.
Chicago police are still stationed near the intersection of Michigan and Wacker Drive as crowds continue their celebration:
Street Closures, CTA Schedule Changes Reported Amid Ongoing Celebrations
A series of street closures and CTA schedule changes are being reported as Chicagoans take to the streets in celebration of the apparent election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
According to CTA officials, southbound 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express buses are temporarily being rerouted due to protest activity near Michigan and Wacker Drive.
Southbound 6 Jackson Park Express buses are also being rerouted in the area.
Brown and Red Line trains are currently running, but are not stopping at Belmont or Addison as a result of celebrations on the city’s North Side.
Multiple celebrations have been reported across the city, including in Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and in the Loop on Saturday. Chicago police are deployed in those locations, and are working to ensure that the marches remain peaceful, authorities said in a social media post.
Former President Obama Congratulates Biden, Harris on Apparent Victory
Former President Barack Obama congratulated his former vice president on Saturday, as news outlets projected that President-elect Joe Biden had captured enough electoral votes to win his race against President Donald Trump.
Obama, who served in the White House for eight years with Biden by his side, called the election of his former VP and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris a “groundbreaking achievement,” and expressed confidence that Biden will do a good job in the Oval Office.
“We’re fortunate that Joe’s got what it takes to be President and already carries himself that way,” he said. “Because when he walks into the White House in January, he’ll face a series of extraordinary challenges no incoming President ever has – a raging pandemic, an unequal economy and justice system, a democracy at risk, and a climate in peril.
“I know he’ll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart, whether or not he had their vote. So I encourage every American to give him a chance and lend him your support.”
Chicago Neighborhoods See Large Celebrations After Biden Projected as Winner
After former Vice President Joe Biden was projected as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, celebrations broke out in Chicago and cities around the rest of the United States.
Biden, who was projected as the election's winner by NBC News and other media outlets Saturday, will deliver a statement later in the evening, but the celebration is already on in several Chicago neighborhoods.
Illinois Officials Congratulate Biden Harris on Projected Election Victory
Former Vice President Joe Biden has been projected by NBC News as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, and Illinois elected officials are offering their congratulations on Saturday.
Biden was projected as the president-elect on Saturday by NBC News, as the media outlet projected that Biden would secure Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes.
President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were praised by numerous Illinois officials, including Sen. Dick Durbin.
Durbin, who recently won his reelection campaign in Illinois, praised Biden as “a public servant in the best sense of the term” and congratulated Biden and Harris for their election.
“He has taken the strength and wisdom he learned rom his family, and his own experiences with loss and hardship, and he has used those lessons to give millions of Americans reasons to hope and ways to heal,” Durbin said. “And by his side is an outstanding vice president-elect in my colleague Kamala Harris. Her historic election shows girls, women and people of color across this country that your future is limitless.”
Other officials, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also congratulated Biden and Harris on their triumph.
