Tempers are flaring in the city of Chicago and protests are taking place on an almost daily basis now. But the city’s residents are not protesting against Donald Trump or the police or carbon emissions. They’re protesting the government of newly elected Mayor Brandon Johnson. And they’re not just upset about the rampant crime rates in the city, though there have been some protests about that as well. The most recent protests are in opposition to the city’s handling of the busloads of illegal migrants that are showing up in Chicago and the Mayor’s plans to convert more buildings and facilities into migrant shelters. The one that took place yesterday outside of the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse was particularly “lively” with people chanting “Hell no” over and over again. (Fox 32 Chicago)

On Tuesday afternoon, a protest took place outside the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse in the city’s Galewood neighborhood, where residents voiced their concerns about a plan to transform the space into a migrant shelter.

“We ain’t having that. No! You want to tell us what to do in our park? You cannot do that! We pay our money,” said Linda Johnson, community member.

Critics argue that turning the site into a migrant sanctuary will disrupt crucial park programming and youth activities for residents – programs that took years to build.

The protesters had an impressively disciplined message, even if they were “loud and rowdy” as the local news described them. The current plan would convert the park into a shelter and the people from the neighborhood were having none of it. One woman with a bullhorn said, “We ain’t having that. No! You want to tell us what to do in our park? You cannot do that! We pay our money!”

Others explained passionately how it had taken years to develop sports and community programs at the park for youths, many of whom have no fathers at home. Mentors and coaches come down and, in some cases, “a lot of these coaches, they are their father,” as another woman said. Later, a town hall was held inside the fieldhouse and some local elected officials came to speak and take questions. Some of them clearly regretted it. The meeting was described as being standing-room only. And one woman took to the podium and called out the Mayor directly. She said, “What I want to say is, Mayor Brandon Johnson, we are disappointed in you. This is the community that supported you, how dare you!”

Another protest and town hall erupted on the same day in the Pilsen neighborhood, with locals objecting to a migrant shelter that had already opened there. They complained that the police were being called to that shelter daily and there was drug dealing and violence taking place in a formerly calm neighborhood. When local officials attempted to speak to them it didn’t go much better.

These people are clearly upset and want the city to change course. There are almost no Republicans left in Chicago and certainly none in high office. So these are Democrats screaming at Democrats. And in the video clips we’re seeing from the local media, these are primarily Black Democrats yelling at Black Democrats. These are supposed to be the people that the party cares about and relies on the most. But they’re fed up. Will this lead to a change in local voting patterns? Or at least better decisions by local officials that better serve the public’s needs? It’s too soon to tell, but it just feels like there are storm clouds on the horizon and a change is in the air. Time will tell.