Nearly 100 individuals gathered outside the Oak Lawn Village Hall on Tuesday to protest alleged mistreatment of a 14-year-old at a prior Police and Fire Commission meeting. The rally occurred just before the Village Board meeting.
According to a news release from Oak Lawn police, the teenager had used obscene language during the public comment period at the Aug. 5 meeting. Officers attempted to remove the teen from the podium when a woman interfered. Kobi Guillory, an activist and middle school teacher, spoke passionately at the rally, highlighting concerns about the treatment of the teen.
The Arab American Action Network articulated a different account. They assert the boy was forcibly handled by officers, including being slammed into a counter and subjected to a chokehold, before being expelled from the meeting room. Activists identify the charged woman as the boy’s mother and allege she was also roughly treated when removed.
Members of the Arab American Action Network have consistently attended Police and Fire Commission meetings since 2022, voicing allegations of police misconduct. Police claim that activists frequently disrupt official proceedings by shouting obscenities, engaging in physical altercations, or refusing to comply with orders.
Activists counter, accusing the officers of instigating tensions rather than the public. They reminded the Village Board of historical racism in the Oak Lawn Police Department, including a settled lawsuit involving the beating of a 17-year-old by an officer for $825,000.
Muhammad Sankari, organizing director of the Arab American Action Network, emphasized persistent demands for justice and accountability, denouncing the alleged chokehold on the young boy.