On July 20, the #LetUsBreathe Collective and its offshoot, Breathing Room, staged a protest march and rally to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's Chicago Freedom Summer in Lawndale.
The protest addressed community issues epidemic to Lawndale such as poverty, mass school closures, and police brutality. The rally also touched on the murder rate of trans women of color, addressed the issue of Ordinance 4878 and rebuilding the community by investing and creating in local assets.
The march ended at Homan Square, where protesters chained themselves to the entry of the North Lawndale police station and were arrested for obstructing traffic.
Ordinance 4878, also known by the tag "Blue Lives Matter," is a bill that seeks to elevate police officers to a special class by offering them more protections.
As police officers looked on, protesters chanted, "I love Black people, I love Black trans people, I love Black queer people" as well as "I love being Black, I love the texture of my hair, and I love to rock it in the air."
As of Sunday night, protesters were on Day 3 of a takeover of the Homan Square area, tweeting with the hash tag #FreedomSquare, saying they won't leave until the City Council cancels plans for 4878.