Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chicago is a Chicago-based organization promoting and associated with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. It was formed from the Ferguson Freedom Rides, a BLM protest in Ferguson, Missouri following the death of Michael Brown in 2014. ^{1 2 3}

BLM Chicago has made anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian posts and statements.  . In a now-deleted post from October 10, 2023, BLM Chicago shared an image on its X (formerly Twitter) account featuring a depiction of a paraglider with a Palestinian flag and the slogan, “I Stand With Palestine.” ⁴ Motorized paragliders were used during the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks against the state of Israel, including one attack on an Israeli music festival near the Gaza border. ⁵

Background

Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chicago is a Chicago-based organization promoting and associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. It was formed from the Ferguson Freedom Rides, a BLM protest in Ferguson, Missouri following the death of Michael Brown in 2014. ^{6 7 8}

BLM Chicago maintains an online form for supporters and those seeking to join the organization. Members receive regular email and text message updates. ⁹

Activities

In 2023, Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chicago promoted a petition calling on Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D) to investigate the police department of Oak Lawn, Illinois following the death of Murod Kurdi. ¹⁰ The petition also claimed that the police department had engaged in “repeated violations of the rights of Arabs and other communities of color.”  The petition was signed by the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Southsiders for Peace, and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)-Chicago. ¹¹

In a now-deleted post from October 10, 2023, BLM Chicago shared an image on its X (formerly Twitter) account featuring a depiction of a paraglider with a Palestinian flag with the slogan, “I Stand With Palestine.” ¹² Motorized paragliders were used during the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack against the state of Israel, including an attack on an Israeli music festival near the Gaza border. ¹³

The group also posted images on its social media accounts mocking outcry over the attacks, including a cartoon claiming, “This isn’t about Hamas — this is about Palestinians right to resist 75 years of Israeli settlers colonizing their native land.”  ¹⁴ In a post to its Facebook page, the group claimed that the “few” Israeli citizens taken hostage by Hamas “…held moral responsibility for the situation in Gaza.” ¹⁵

BLM Chicago later deleted the posts and apologized,  claiming, “Yesterday we sent out msgs [sic] that we aren’t proud of. We stand with Palestine & the people who will do what they must to live free. Our hearts are with, the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely.” ^{16 17}

1. “@blmchi.” LinkTree. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://linktr.ee/blmchi.
2. “BLMChicago.” X. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://x.com/BLMChi.
3. Moore, Darnell L. and Cullors, Patrisse. “5 ways to never forget Ferguson – and deliver real justice for Michael Brown.” The Guardian, September 4, 2014. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/04/never-forget-ferguson-justice-for-michael-brown.
4. Propper, David and Oliveira, Alex. “BLM Chicago under fire for pro-Palestinian post featuring paragliding terrorist: ‘Disgusting and disgraceful.” New York Post, October 10, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/blm-chicago-under-fire-for-pro-palestine-post-featuring-paragliding-terrorist/.
5. Nakhoul, Samia and Saul, Jonathan. “How Hamas duped Israel as it planned devastating attack.” Reuters, October 10, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-israel-was-duped-hamas-planned-devastating-assault-2023-10-08/.
6. “@blmchi.” LinkTree. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://linktr.ee/blmchi.
7. “BLMChicago.” X. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://x.com/BLMChi.
8. Moore, Darnell L. and Cullors, Patrisse. “5 ways to never forget Ferguson – and deliver real justice for Michael Brown.” The Guardian, September 4, 2014. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/04/never-forget-ferguson-justice-for-michael-brown.
9. “Join.” BLMChicago – Nation Builder. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://blmchi.nationbuilder.com/join.
10. “@blmchi.” LinkTree. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://linktr.ee/blmchi.
11. “Petition to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul: Investigate Oak Lawn Police Department.” Google Docs. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3bHIgP7D_juGnu7fWMtFqGwRkUI3Jvw0WvSY-J2BLdSi9sA/viewform.
12. Propper, David and Oliveira, Alex. “BLM Chicago under fire for pro-Palestinian post featuring paragliding terrorist: ‘Disgusting and disgraceful.” New York Post, October 10, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/blm-chicago-under-fire-for-pro-palestine-post-featuring-paragliding-terrorist/.
13. Nakhoul, Samia and Saul, Jonathan. “How Hamas duped Israel as it planned devastating attack.” Reuters, October 10, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/how-israel-was-duped-hamas-planned-devastating-assault-2023-10-08/.
14. Propper, David and Oliveira, Alex. “BLM Chicago under fire for pro-Palestinian post featuring paragliding terrorist: ‘Disgusting and disgraceful.” New York Post, October 10, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://nypost.com/2023/10/10/blm-chicago-under-fire-for-pro-palestine-post-featuring-paragliding-terrorist/.
15. Nguyen, Alex. “Black Lives Matter’s Chicago Chapter Backtracks on Their Hamas Post.” The Daily Beast, October 11, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://www.thedailybeast.com/black-lives-matters-chicago-chapter-backtracks-on-hamas-post.
16. Post. BLMChicago – X, October 11, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://x.com/BLMChi/status/1712096179528294562.
17. Nguyen, Alex. “Black Lives Matter’s Chicago Chapter Backtracks on Their Hamas Post.” The Daily Beast, October 11, 2023. Accessed September 15, 2024. https://www.thedailybeast.com/black-lives-matters-chicago-chapter-backtracks-on-hamas-post.