Laquan McDonald: Hundreds protest as footage of white police officer shooting black teenager dead is released
Some protesters blocked the motorway in Chicago, while others carried out a powerful silent 'face-off' with police
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Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of people have taken to the streets of Chicago to protest after graphic video footage emerged of a white police officer shooting a black teenager 16 times.
Some blocked an intersection of a motorway in the city's downtown district, while others marched through the streets to gather outside a police station where three demonstrators had been detained.
Laquan McDonald was killed by Jason Van Dyke, an officer with 14 years experience, in October 2014.
Police dash-cam footage, which was released on Tuesday evening, has no audio, but clearly captures the puffs of smoke from the officer's weapon, and the 17-year-old's body moving with additional gunfire after he had fallen to the ground.
Earlier on Tuesday, Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder and was remanded into custody - but many marched out of anger that it took prosecutors more than a year to charge him.
And at the protest, amid chants of “16 times” and “mic check,” referring to the lack of sound; footage of one protester silently "facing off" against an officer attracted the attention of a major broadcaster.
Fox News seemed disproportionally interested in the 20-second clip, which appeared as part of their live coverage of the demonstrations.
The interaction was also captured by Vice journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who posted it to Twitter with the caption: "After 7 hours of marching in the streets, a staring competition between a protester and police man."
Fox included coverage of the protests on weekly segment 'The Kelly File' with a debate over the footage of the young black protester staring into the eyes of a uniform-clad officer, outside a Chicago PD’s District One headquarters.
Presenter Megyn Kelly questioned whether the demonstrator's actions were "appropriate". She said that the officer wasn’t being accused of anything and was just trying to keep the peace, and described the incident as an "extraordinary moment".
She also said the right to protest was different from “getting in a cop’s face” and staring him down, and that it was not about "rights" but about what was “appropriate”.
It led to a tense stand-off between Ms Kelly and liberal Fox contributor Richard Fowler, who said the protester was conducting a silent protest and was merely "exercising his First Amendment rights".
Ms Megyn was apparently stunned by her colleague's reponse, and said she could not believe Mr Fowler had “no problem with this”.
Media Matters provided a transcript of the conversation:
Title
MEGYN KELLY (HOST): I just want to jump in as we're seeing an extraordinary moment. Look what's happening here.
BERNARD KERIK: Listen, you're going to have guys like this. You know they want to instigate, they want to create a --
RICHARD FOWLER: What is he instigating? Bernie, I'm sorry I've got to interrupt.
KELLY: But Richard look at him. This is a cop out there accused of doing nothing wrong, trying to keep the peace.
FOWLER: This guy is having a silent protest with this police officer. This is his first amendment right.
KELLY: He gets right in his face and stares him down? This cop hasn't done anything wrong.
FOWLER: That is his first amendment right, Megyn.
KELLY: To get in a cops face and stare him down?
FOWLER: And you out of all people, Megyn, believe in protecting -- this is his first amendment right. I don't understand.
KELLY: You think that's fine? You have no problem with this?
FOWLER: This is his first amendment right. This biggest problem here is --
KELLY: It's not a question of what his constitutional rights are. It's a question of what's appropriate.
FOWLER: And I see nothing wrong with this.
It's not the first time the pair have come to verbal blows over their differing opinions on topical news events.
In September they argued over the Black Lives Matter movement, with Mr Fowler defending the "non-violent movement".
After the video footage of the shooting was released, Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel publicly appealed for calm.
“It is fine to be passionate but it essential to remain peaceful,” he said. “It is now the time to come together as one city, show respect for one another.”
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