Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s press conference announcing next steps after the resignation of the city’s school board was interrupted multiple times by protesters, creating an often-tense scene.
Multiple groups vocally opposed to Johnson’s actions disrupted the mayor’s opening statement on multiple occasions, with a grouping holding “Fire Johnson” signs and chanting “not legit” during his remarks.
Johnson pushed back against those criticisms, pointing to his activism on behalf of the city’s schools before he was elected mayor in 2023.
“The most legitimate existence of anyone in this country is the existence of a Black mayor,” he said. “I understand there are individuals who wish to use this as a political opportunity to sow seeds of doubt, but make no mistake about it: I’m going to stand firm and flat-footed to ensure that our students get what they deserve. I was legitimate when I took arrest against the administration when they were closing down Black schools. I was …