Police were heroes of ‘No Kings’ protest

My wife and I attended the “No Kings” protest in Chicago on June 14. The crowd was huge, but peaceful and orderly. We felt proud to exercise our First Amendment rights.

However, the heroes of the day were the officers of the Chicago Police Department. There were lines of officers at every intersection. They were in regular uniforms — no SWAT gear, camouflage or long guns. They looked sharp. They were not wearing masks. If anyone had a problem with an officer, they would have been able to see the officer’s name and badge number. All of them were courteous and professional.

The measure of their success was all the things that did not happen. They managed a crowd of 75,000 with no looting or vandalism, no tear gas or rubber bullets, no serious injuries, no mass arrests. They kept everyone safe.

We know they had to give up their days off to accomplish this. We are grateful. The whole city of Chicago should be proud of them.

Wiley Edmondson

Geneva