Protesters disrupt mayor’s address during Chicago Board of Education showdown – NBC Chicago

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s news conference announcing next steps after the city’s school board resigned was interrupted several times by protesters, leading to often tense scenes.

Several groups vocally opposed to Johnson’s actions disrupted the mayor’s opening speech on multiple occasions, with one group holding “Fire Johnson” signs and chanting “not legitimate” during his speech.

Johnson pushed back against that criticism, citing his commitment to the city’s schools before he was elected mayor in 2023.

“The most legitimate existence of a human being in this country is the existence of a black mayor,” he said. “I understand that there are individuals who want to use this as a political opportunity to sow seeds of doubt, but make no mistake: I will remain steadfast and unyielding to ensure our students get what they deserve. I was legitimate when I was arrested against the government when it closed black schools. I was also legitimate when I went to Springfield to fight for a fully elected school board.”

Later in his opening speech, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters also began shouting, accusing Johnson of failing to take a firm stance in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Johnson, who voted decisively in favor of a City Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the conflict, said he “appreciated the energy” of the protesters but said the actions in office were not producing immediate results.

A majority of Chicago City Council members are pushing for a hearing after all seven members of the Chicago Board of Education resigned. NBC Chicago’s Randy Gyllenhaal reports.

“As you can see, they clearly expect a black man to do everything in less than two years,” he said. “I really appreciate the energy because I know if things stood still it would mean we were changing the status quo, but the fact that things are moving and changing means I’m doing exactly what I’m doing I was elected.”

The school board controversy began when Johnson began pushing for Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez to either be fired or resign. He faced resistance to the idea from the school board, which has final say on Martinez’s contract.

On Friday, board members suddenly resigned, sparking a new wave of concern at both the local and state levels.

In response, Johnson appointed six new members to the board in an attempt to stabilize the situation, but faced more criticism from activist groups and the Chicago City Council, with the majority of that body’s members signing a letter expressing concerns about the term the mayor’s handling of the situation.

The mayor dismissed those concerns, saying he was confident he could manage the crisis and appoint members who shared his goals for the district.

“(The) City Council can hold as many hearings as they want. There is only one person authorized to make appointments. This is the mayor,” he said.