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ACTIVISTS
USE INFORMAL
TOOLS TO KEEP
THE PEACE AT
PROTESTS
When Berto Aguayo heard that Chicago protests
started turning violent over the weekend, he
called a few dozen people to meet in front of a
colorful mural in a South Side neighborhood.
“Number one, we are here to peacefully protect
small businesses,” Aguayo — co-founder of
Increase the Peace, a community organizing
group in the city — told the small crowd. He
said the the businesses were locally owned,
and residents relied on them: “That is it. If
somebody is trying to loot, don’t greet them
with hostility. Ask them if they want water, a,
snack, engage in dialogue. If that doesn’t work,
don’t put your life at risk.”
There was no formal training, just a pep talk and
a short prayer. Then the group took its place in
front of one street’s storefronts, many of them
immigrant-owned: mom-and-pop grocery
stores, restaurants and a homeless youth shelter.
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