By Fran Spielman
The Chicago Sun-Times
CHICAGO — The Fraternal Order of Police is fuming about the city’s decision to grant a permit that paved the way for a Memorial Day weekend march honoring the birthday of David “King David” Barksdale, founder of the Black Disciples street gang.
The parade along Ashland Avenue was held on Saturday, apparently without incident. Chicago Police officers assigned to the event were forewarned to expect trouble because the Black Disciples have “strong ties” to the Black Gangster Disciples.
“Officers should be aware that the aforementioned gangs have historical and current conflict with other rival gangs as well as some factions experiencing internal conflict. Therefore, officers assigned to the area of the parade should be aware that the possibility of gang violence exists,” said a May 22 advisory from the Bureau of Strategic Deployment.
The fact that the parade went off without a hitch was not enough to satisfy FOP President Mark Donahue.
The union president was incredulous that City Hall allowed it to happen at all. He likened it to the 2006 furor over renaming a West Side street in honor of slain Black Panther Leader Fred Hampton.
“It’s an insult. This is a violent street gang credited with multiple murders and chaos within communities. All residents in areas where they are located should be offended,” Donahue said.
“They need to have someone look at permit requests a little bit closer and not allow an organization that’s responsible for a great deal of violence in this city to honor one of their leaders. Freedom of speech is one thing. But, when you have to assign police officers all over that area to work the parade to ensure compliance with the permit, there’s something wrong.”
Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond said the permit to hold an “anti-violence march” was granted by the Office of Emergency Management and Communications to a group known as, “House of David, Put Down the Guns, Put on the Gloves.”
“It’s an anti-violence group very similar to groups like Cease Fire. They use their life experiences to deter youth from going down the wrong path. We also have information from police on the scene that group participants were holding signs that said, `Put down the drugs. Put down the guns,’ “ she said.
Bond insisted that there was “nothing in the permit that indicated criminal activity or a threat.” Why, then was an advisory issued to police officers three days before the event?
“Intelligence was gathered late Thursday that indicated that this group may have involved former gang members. Once we got word that former gang members late in age may be in attendance, necessary precautions were put into place,” she said.
Two years ago, a City Council committee touched off a political firestorm by voting without debate to rename a West Side street in honor of Hampton, slain state chairman of a Black Panther Party that urged its followers to “off the pigs.”
Donahue called it a “dark day” in the city’s history “when we honor someone who would advocate killing policemen.”
The proposed street-naming struck such a nerve—and re-opened so many old racial wounds— that then-Ald. Madeline Haithcock (2nd) ultimately gave up the fight for “Chairman Fred Hampton Way.” She was unwilling to divide the City Council along racial lines on a vote she was destined to lose.
Copyright 2008 The Chicago Sun-Times