Rahm Emanuel Won't Step Down But a New Proposal Might Force His Hand

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he won’t relinquish his post, but an Illinois State Representative is calling his bluff amid widespread city protests this week surrounding the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald and its fallout.

On Wednesday, Democratic Rep. La Shawn Ford filed a proposal to initiate a recall election, according to Fox Chicago via Chicagoist, that will go forward if just 15 percent of voters agree. The proposal would need to pass the state House and Senate first but if it does pass, alternative mayoral candidates would need 12,500 signatures to join in the special election ballot.

Also yesterday, about 1,000 Chicagoans took part in protests around the city and even down the Magnificent Mile, Downtown’s major shopping thoroughfare where participants were trailed by CNN, MSNBC and other news outlets. Today, medical students held a die-in outside of City Hall where they laid themselves on the sidewalk.

Locals clearly aren’t satiated by the mayor’s words: a new poll by Ogden & Fry found that just over half of Chicago natives think Emanuel should resign. More than 60 percent don’t believe that Emanuel did not see the grisly fatal shooting of McDonald on Officer Jason Van Dyke’s dash cam footage until last month, when the clip was released publicly.

These demonstrations of civil disobedience followed Emanuel’s speech on Wednesday inside City Hall to a cherry-picked audience where he apologized for McDonald’s death. Many locals were upset that they weren’t allowed entry to the hall, which was supposed to be open to the public but was instead filled with Emanuel’s invited guests.