How the Chicago protest movement helped Kim Foxx win the State’s Attorney nomination

By Kierra Gray

On Primary Election night in Chicago, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez conceded to Democratic rival Kim Foxx.

Alvarez faced intense criticism after her office waited 400 days to release a police dash cam footage showing the shooting death of Laquan McDonald by former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke.

When the video was released last November, protests erupted across the city. And various activists who took part in those protests believe they had a part in Alvarez’s defeat.

[vimeo 159276429 w=474]

“To me, I’m never going to love the head prosecutor of the county. Their job is to lock up black and brown people and I will never believe in that,”said Tess Raser, an activist with the foundation Assata’s Daughters.”However, I do believe there will be significant harm reduction if Kim Foxx is elected.”

Foxx will face Republican challenger Christopher Pfannkuche, a prosecutor for three decades, in the November election.

Photo at top: Kim Foxx gives a victory speech after winning in the democratic primary for Cook County State’s Attorney. (Kierra Gray/Medill Reports)