CHICAGO — A city-wide noisemaking event called a cacerolazo is happening Saturday night in solidarity with Minneapolis protesters following the police killing of George Floyd — and to support racial justice efforts across the country.
The event starts at 7 p.m. and its organizers are asking people to make noise by banging pots and spoons, honking car horns and anything else that can make a lot of noise for seven minutes.
“Together we’ll mark the seven minutes George Floyd fought for his life and make clear that we will not remain silent in the face of anti-Black violence,” said the Facebook event‘s description.
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Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis Police officer who kneeled on his neck while he begged for his life. The horrifying incident was caught on video and sparked protests throughout the country, including a large protest Thursday in Englewood.
A socially distant protest is planned for 2-5 p.m. Saturday at Federal Plaza at Dearborn and Adams streets. More than 1,000 people have said they plan to attend on that event’s Facebook page.
Saturday’s cacerolazo was organized on behalf of Chicagoans who want to show solidarity with those outraged over the killing of Floyd but can’t attend the city’s in-person protests.
Some people may fear being exposed to coronavirus, have other health conditions that means they can’t walk or stand for long periods of time, may not have access to transportation, or not have access to childcare said Jacqueline Lyon, one of the organizers of Saturday’s event.
“We totally support and think people have valid reasons why they can’t go in person to the other actions happening in the city,” she said.
Lyon wanted to emphasize Saturday’s cacerolazo is being done in solidarity with not just protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Louisville, Kentucky but also with the ongoing protest events being organized by other Chicago community organizers.
Cacerolazo protest actions have a long tradition in Latinx cultures, Lyon said.
She’s Puerto Rican and her partner and co-organizer of the event Christian Mejía is Mexican. Before the pandemic they witnessed the power of a cacerolazo during their trip to the Dominican Republic.
“That was our last trip and we saw how beautiful it was that people were protesting in place because of the canceled elections in that country,” Lyon said.
“We’re just two people who care trying to add a protesting resource we are familiar with so people have more opportunities to express themselves during a time when many feel powerless,” Lyon said.
Below is a video filmed by Christian Mejía of a cacerolazo that happened in February in the Dominican Republic.
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