WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Advocacy groups and concerned citizens will hold a rally in Chicago on Thursday to protest the existence of the city’s police department “black site” interrogation facility at Homen Square, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression Community Organizer Frank Chapman told Sputnik.
“We are using this event [rally] as an opportunity to bring attention to the facility used by CPD [Chicago Police Department] to bring people in and wring confessions out of them,” Chapman said on Wednesday.
“This has been police policy for a long time, and we have known about it in the African American community for some time,” he added.
Chapman explained that police did not give suspects it held at the Homen Square facility the access to legal counsel, and kept them detained until it obtained incriminating evidence.
Chapman said he believes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County District Attorney Anita Alvarez keep the police policies in place, and added he can attest to the validity of the rights violations because as he works with people who are accused every day.
“We as a group are working on these cases,” Chapman said. “Some of the mothers, wives, and families (of the accused) have been coming to us for help for the last couple decades.”
According to the group’s statement on their Facebook page event, they are demanding that Emanuel close down Homan Square; fire Chicago Police Superintendent Gary McCarthy; pass the Torture Reparations Ordinance; and order the permanent display of a sign for First Defense Legal Aid, a legal clinic offering free representation to anyone in the first 48 hours of their arrest.
Chicago Anonymous, another Chicago-based advocacy group, told Sputnik on Wednesday they seek changes to policing, and demand a public inspection of the Homan Square facility.
The CPD told Sputnik earlier that they abide by all rules, laws, and regulations pertaining to proper treatment of accused persons.
