Security guarded the Back The Blue rally entrance Sunday as Black Lives Matter counter protesters hovered nearby. Inside Park in Bloomington, hundreds of people gathered for what was billed as a simple “thank you” to local law enforcement.
Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason said it’s "ridiculous” to suggest local governments will ever fully defund police, but he supports the discussion of how to better redirect some police resources.
Bloomington City Council members generally say they aren't ready to overhaul public safety in the city amid national calls to "Defund the Police," but several want to start heading in that direction.
Black Lives Matter BloNo announced a sweeping platform of policy demands Friday that would shrink local police departments, remove officers from schools, and increase the visibility of black history and equity in K-12 schools and universities.
Frustrated and disgusted by the events surrounding the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last month, Normal Police Department third-shift officer Jasmine Johnson went to her chief and asked for a show of department solidarity with protesters.
Black Lives Matter BloNo said Wednesday it was disappointed in a social media post from the McLean County Democrats that called for reframing the “Defund The Police” debate away from the word defund.
