Dupage Policy Journal

There are groups behind the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests that hate the U.S. Constitution, according to Naperville GOP chairman Jim Ruhl.

“They hate law and order,” Ruhl said without identifying the groups he believes infiltrated BLM. “They are using black protestors to incite riots and I don't think they saw it coming.”

Black Lives Matter protestors have been gathering daily nationwide ever since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned George Floyd, an unarmed black man, to the ground with his knee and strangled him to death May 25. 

Naperville has had its share of rallies in support of Floyd. This past week there were junior high students led by their teacher, protesting and expressing their First Amendment rights, according to Ruhl. 

“They have the freedom to do that in downtown Naperville at 3 in the afternoon to protest what occurred in Minnesota,” Ruhl said in an interview. “It was very cordial although there was some yelling, speaking up and holding up signs.”

Rallying cries that started as '‘No justice, no peace’' in Chicago have since evolved into chants of '‘Defund the police’' and while Ruhl does not deny systemic racism exists, he says he does not believe the solution is eliminating the police force. 

On June 1, about 400 people peacefully protested in Naperville, according to media reports, but afterward 30 stores were robbed and 11 looters were arrested. 

Police Chief Robert Marshall told reporters some of the looters came from outside Naperville and used bricks, two-by-fours and bottles to shatter store windows.

“We need to do a better job sympathizing with how hard it is for a black person to walk the neighborhood,” Ruhl told the DuPage Policy Journal. “They fear for their life and I do believe a higher percentage are being pulled over in traffic stops. It’s a sad thing. I don’t have a solution for it but defunding the very thing that helps make our communities better isn't going to help.”

Calls to defund the police come at a time when Chicago public schools, students, teachers and other community members are protesting, requesting that the city allocate less money to the Chicago Police Department and replace it, instead, with a civilian police accountability council, according to media reports. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, however, dismissed the idea.

“It's been noted that Naperville even has a racial issue so we need to do a better job of finding ways to unite each other," Ruhl said. "But defunding the police is not an answer to that especially when no one has a clear picture as to what that will look like.”  

Rather than defund the police in Chicago, Ruhl said Democrats in office should act more responsibly and implement a better-estimated value system.

"Since the last two elections, every Democrat has voted for pay raises for themselves," Ruhl said. "Instead, maybe they should take a pay cut and reinvest that money back into the school system."