Johnson defends a social media post by the Chicago Teachers Union, calling the convicted murderer a key figure in the Black liberation movement.
Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago has sparked controversy by publicly praising Assata Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, a former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member convicted in the 1973 killing of a state trooper.
Shakur’s death at age 78 in Havana, Cuba, was recently announced by the Cuban government, where she had been living in exile since escaping prison in 1979. Her death reignited the decades-long debate over her legacy.
Mayor Defends Shakur
Mayor Johnson was questioned about a social media post by the Chicago Teachers Union praising Shakur during a press conference.
“Assata Shakur is an important person in the black liberation movement who has repeatedly claimed her innocence,” Johnson stated.
Shakur, who was also the godmother of pioneering rapper Tupac Shakur, had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. She was convicted in 1977 of first-degree murder for her role in a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that killed State Trooper Werner Foerster. Shakur maintained her innocence, claiming she was shot while her hands were above her head.
FBI Director Slams Mourners
The Mayor’s comments put him at odds with federal law enforcement, including FBI Director Kash Patel, who strongly criticized those mourning Chesimard.
Patel posted on X: “Joanne Chesimard didn’t ‘fight for justice.’ She murdered New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in cold blood, then fled to Cuba to escape accountability,” adding, “The FBI never stopped calling her what she was: a terrorist. Mourning her is spitting on the badge and the blood of every cop who gave their life in service.”
According to the FBI, Chesimard was wanted for bank robbery and other felonies prior to the 1973 traffic stop.
Controversial Timing
Johnson’s praise for the convicted cop-killer comes as the Chicago area and other parts of the U.S. face heightened tensions and violence, including a recent riot at a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility near Chicago.
The Mayor’s remarks follow multiple attacks on ICE facilities in Texas, including a deadly shooting in Dallas and two previous incidents since July 4 where shots were fired at ICE or Border Patrol facilities in Texas. The Dallas ICE facility had also received a bomb threat in August.
Shakur has long been a potent political symbol, viewed by some as a valiant soldier in the war against a racist police state, while the U.S. government insisted her return was key to normalizing relations with Cuba. Her 1988 memoir, “Assata: An Autobiography”, has been influential in the Black power movement.
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