A prominent south suburban Black community leader says he and others were left rattled by a seeming attempt by a white progressive protestor to shut down a press conference called to draw attention to potential negative effects of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act criminal justice reforms on Black and brown residents of Cook County and elsewhere in Illinois.
On Sept. 27, a group of Black community leaders and activists from Chicago’s South Suburbs and elsewhere gathered in front of the Cook County Jail with Republican Attorney General candidate Tom DeVore to call for changes to the so-called SAFE-T Act.
The press conference was particularly intended to draw attention to concerns within the Black community that the law’s provision eliminating cash bail in Illinois would ultimately lead to Black Cook County residents and others who are charged with crimes to remain in jail without any opportunity to pay bail and be released on bond, pending trial.
Thomas DeVore
| Citizens for DeVore
The SAFE-T Act has become a lightning rod topic across the state, as critics have blasted the law. Republicans have noted the law, pushed through the Illinois General Assembly in January 2021 with minimal debate, will change virtually every aspect of Illinois' criminal justice system, particularly by eliminating cash bail and barring judges from requiring those charged with crimes post bond to ensure they don't skip out on trial or commit further crimes.
Those provisions of the law are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
To forestall what many have called a potential criminal justice disaster, DeVore and others have called for repeal of the law, or substantial changes to address concerns. Several county state's attorneys, including the state's attorneys of Will and McHenry counties, have sued Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul to block the law from taking effect. They argue the law is unconstitutional, as the right to attempt to post bond to get out of jail pending trial is guaranteed under the Illinois state constitution, among other constitutional claims.
DeVore and others gathered sought to use the press conference on Sept. 27 to continue their campaign against the law.
However, as DeVore began to speak, a man, dressed in what DeVore has called “distinctive clothing,” disrupted the gathering, shouting left-wing political slogans in support of the SAFE-T Act’s “pre-trial fairness” provisions and carrying a sign. The protestor was masked, preventing identification.
A man identified as Paul McKinley immediately intervened and knocked the man’s sign out of his hand. McKinley, who is Black and is active with the ex-offender group Voices of the Ex-Offender, had opened the press conference and introduced DeVore.
McKinley has also run as a Republican for Congress in Illinois’ Second Congressional District.
Speaking of the protestor, McKinley said: “He came here for the Democratic Party.”
Video of the incident was obtained and published first by The Center Square.
The altercation continued, however, as the man pulled out another sign and continued shouting and exchanging words with McKinnley.
DeVore and others left the scene, and the press conference and its accompanying live stream were shut down.
Cornel Darden Jr., who serves as president and CEO of the Southland Chamber of Commerce, was among those gathered at the press conference to call attention to the potential discriminatory impact of the elimination of bail within the SAFE-T Act.
Darden said he and others gathered there noted the protestor was dressed in clothing characteristic of the militant left-wing organization generally known as Antifa, an umbrella term for groups that are blamed for playing a lead role in stoking political violence in the streets for years.
Darden said the protestor who scuffled with McKinnley appeared to have companions with him, but those companions did not engage.
Darden said he and others on site credited McKinnley with intervening to stop the man, who Darden said “was coming from Tom.”
Darden said the protestor remains unidentified.
Darden said he and others were feeling anxious before the event and were concerned that “somebody might try to do something” to disrupt the event.
“We got a lot of Black people all over Cook County who are afraid that they’re going to get locked up and not be able to pay bail to get out,” said Darden. “So to have a white guy come around, trying to shut us down when we’re bringing attention to it, that’s really concerning.”
Following the event, the DeVore campaign released a statement, calling on prominent Democrats, and particularly Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, to denounce the “violence” at the press conference.
"Our press conference this morning with a coalition of community activists in the South Suburbs was shut down by supporters of [Gov. J.B. Pritzker] and Kwame Raoul who turned violent,” DeVore said. “I support everyone's right to protest peacefully. But violence in response to political and policy discussion is antithetical to the hope of a vibrant democracy. What happened today was totally unacceptable, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”
“I call on Governor Pritzker and Kwame Raoul to join me in condemning the violence of their supporters, and committing to thoughtful, rational and peaceful dialogue on the many issues facing the people of Illinois for the remainder of this election cycle,” DeVore said in the statement.
The Center Square said representatives of the Raoul and Pritzker campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident or DeVore’s demands.