Illinois State Senator Defends Chicago Teens’ Rioting, Looting

An Illinois state senator defended the Chicago “Teen Takeover” that unfolded Saturday night and left multiple boys shot, claiming it was simply “a mass protest against poverty and segregation.”

Robert Peters, who represents parts of Chicago, responded to the chaotic scene that saw hundreds of local youth smashing car windows, jumping on surrounding vehicles, and firing guns in the streets.

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“Since I’m a glutton for punishment and I’m sure I’m gonna get the most unhinged, crime weirdo replies but: I would look at the behavior of young people as a political act and statement,” Peters wrote in a Twitter post Sunday. “It’s a mass protest against poverty and segregation. Rest in peace to my mentions.”

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Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, the progressive who will succeed Lori Lightfoot, claimed that while he condemns the riot, “it is not constructive to demonize youth.”

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