"Troops have no place in our neighborhoods"

“As a union of working people in the public service, AFSCME Council 31 values unity, democracy, and strong communities. The threat to deploy armed forces on the streets of Chicago stands in direct opposition to those values," executive director Roberta Lynch said.

“Militarized troops have no place in the neighborhoods where Chicagoans live, work and go to school. National Guard members are themselves working people who serve to respond to real emergencies, not to be deployed as pawns in a political game. The job of reducing crime is a community effort involving law enforcement, the courts, non-police crisis response teams, supportive services like mental health and substance abuse treatment, and much more—all of which involve AFSCME members working for city, county, or state government or non-profit agencies. If the President truly wants to help our community and our residents, he would invest in these efforts; instead, he has slashed them to give big tax breaks to billionaires.

“We strongly oppose the Trump administration’s unwanted intrusion into our city and state. AFSCME members stand firm in solidarity—with one another, the labor movement, all our neighbors in every neighborhood, and anyone who shares our values of unity, democracy and public service.”