Chicago Mayor: I Have a Right to Make My Home Secure

The threats to her and her family justify keeping protesters away from her home, says Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Police enforce a ban on protesters on her block, the Tribune reports, arresting those who don't leave when asked. "I think that residents of this city, understanding the nature of the threats that we are receiving on a daily basis, on a daily basis, understand I have a right to make sure that my home is secure," Lightfoot said. At times, police have massed and used barricades keep protesters away from her house. They once brought an armored vehicle in. The mayor already had an around-the-clock detail that included officers assigned to her home before the force was deployed on the street.

Police officials couldn't recall doing the same thing at the home of Lightfoot's predecessor, Rahm Emanuel. A comparison would be irrelevant, Lightfoot said, because with the unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd, "this is a different time like no other." The cost, including the number of officers assigned, hasn't been disclosed, per WFLD. "Maybe she should move into a high-rise downtown where you can put like 20 officers at the front of the building if need be," said the president of the Fraternal Order of Police. Lightfoot didn't budge, saying she has to ensure her family's safety. "I make no apologies whatsoever for that." (More Lori Lightfoot stories.)