People take part in a protest in Chicago, the United States, on Dec. 27, 2021. Hundreds of residents and business owners and employees Monday afternoon staged a two-hour silence protest against increasing crimes targeting local residents and businesses in Chicago. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)
CHICAGO, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of residents and business owners and employees in Chinatown on the South Side of Chicago staged a two-hour silence protest Monday afternoon to protest against increasing crime targeted at local residents and businesses.
Businesses in Chinatown closed for two hours as the protestors walked around the community in silence, holding banners "Crime is Crime" and "Stop Asian Hate".
A flyer circulated to bystanders read: "The community we once lived and worked in peace is now shrouded in fear and danger. In a country known for the American dream and freedom, our lives and property are under unprecedented threats. By keeping our heads down and hoping for the best, our situation will not change."
The flyer called on people to display their frustration and get united. "When our voices are ignored, we can express our protest in silence."
In the latter half of this year, robbery, grabbing of cars, smashing of businesses' doors and windows for burglary have become normal and even an everyday event in Chinatown. On Dec. 9, a 71-year-old man of Chinese origin was shot 22 times in broad daylight on the street in Chinatown, out of nothing.
The violence harassing Chinatown is just an epitome of Chicago struggling with rising crime rate. Crime in Chicago is not limited to certain districts today, it is a phenomenon in most areas of the city.
Jack Lavin, president and CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said in mid-December that Chicago is "at a crossroads" because of rising crime and "skyrocketing" commercial property taxes. Crime is paramount, so is the perception of public safety and the rampant fear that Chicago is no longer a safe place to live, work, shop and visit, he said.
According to city data, Chicago tops the nation in violent deaths so far in 2021, with homicides in the city topping 780, up nearly 60 percent from 2019, the year before the current national wave of urban violence began.
By Dec. 14, at least 4,328 people had been shot in Chicago this year, compared to 4,013 shooting victims in 2020 and 2,556 in 2019. Carjackings went up 31 percent from last year's troubling levels, from 1,303 to 1,707. In 2019, Chicago recorded 554 carjackings during the same period. Enditem
People take part in a protest in Chicago, the United States, on Dec. 27, 2021. Hundreds of residents and business owners and employees Monday afternoon staged a two-hour silence protest against increasing crimes targeting local residents and businesses in Chicago. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)
People take part in a protest in Chicago, the United States, on Dec. 27, 2021. Hundreds of residents and business owners and employees Monday afternoon staged a two-hour silence protest against increasing crimes targeting local residents and businesses in Chicago. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)
