By Jesus J. Montero

*Updated on September 22

According to records obtained by Cicero Independente, the Berwyn Police Department utilized the Northern Illinois Police Alarm Systems (NIPAS) for the Berwyn Black Lives Matter rally on Aug. 11. The NIPAS is a joint venture of suburban police departments that provide additional officers for a natural disaster or “unexpected results of a special events.”

According to BPD, all images and videos taken from the Aug. 11 rally held outside of city hall have been “destroyed and no longer exist.” Many rally goers were concerned about the officers on the roof of the city hall building taking photos of the peaceful demonstrators.

The Berwyn Community in Action (BCA) community group, which co-organized the Aug. 11 rally, has now also released a statement condemning Berwyn’s no-bid contract with Axon, a technology company that if approved, would be equipping Berwyn police with body cams and in-car cameras.

In a statement, the BCA calls the contract fiscally and ethically irresponsible. The BCA also shared the agreement ignores community input. The $3.8 million contract is on the agenda for the Sept. 22 Berwyn City Council meeting. The Axon contract was previously deferred from the Sept. 8 meeting.

The BCA listed five different demands which includes Mayor Lovero returning Axon’s Sept. 10, $2,500 campaign contribution or disqualifying them for consideration to be free of any conflict of interest. The statement links news coverage of Axon and a Better Government Association investigation on no-bid contracts in Cicero and Berwyn.

This story is developing. Check back on this article for updates or visit ciceroindependiente.com / for future coverage.

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On Aug. 11, Berwyn Police Officers were told to have their riot gear ready and prepare for an event with a potential for civil unrest or civil disobedience, according to records obtained by Cicero Independiente.

Instead, police were met with a diverse rally made up of longtime residents of Berwyn, families with their children and activists from surrounding communities who gathered to demand that the city take concrete steps to assure that Black Lives Matter in Berwyn.

Berwyn residents have since decried what they say was an unnecessary show of police force at the August event. Across the nation, similar Black Lives Matter demonstrations, 93 percent of which have been peaceful according to a new study, have been met with increased violent responses from police departments.

Demanding accountability

Berwyn residents want answers from officials after the social unrest that took place this summer. On June 1, after threats of potential unrest following the murder of George Floyd some residents took to the streets in armed groups.

The Berwyn Police Department, residents say, allowed these armed residents to patrol the streets despite Mayor Robert J Lovero instituting a 6 p.m. curfew. Circulating online are videos and photos of police with these armed residents posing with and taking pictures of the group of residents.

Residents question the city’s handling of the situation and what they say is a lack of concern and resources for Berwyn's Black residents.

Black Lives Matter mural in Berwyn

In late July, the Berwyn Public Arts Initiative (BPAI) wrote a letter asking for permission to install a Black Lives Matter street mural. According to BPAI, within an hour, the City of Berwyn rejected the idea because "the City prefers to keep any political art installations off of City/public property."

President of the BPAI, Norman Alexandroff, shares that the nonprofit organization's mission is to transform Berwyn's Depot District. "The strategy is to use public art as a way to transform the empty spaces (in the Depot District) and to bring people into the area, support local businesses and foster community pride," he says.

The mural was seen as a potential first step to address the harms following the events of June 1.

The rejection of the mural caused supporters to organize a protest at city hall. Lovero later reversed his decision.

"He had agreed that this was not a political statement. Black Lives Matter is not a political statement. It's a human rights statement. He saw the logic of that and agreed to let us do the Black Lives Matter mural anywhere in Berwyn," Alexandroff said.

Residents went ahead with the planned rally which was now a celebration of the forthcoming mural and an opportunity to demand further action from local officials.

"Words are powerful, but they are symbolic if they don't have concrete actions after them," explained Anna Marin, a cofounder of Berwyn Community Action.

"It becomes a little less meaningful if there are no policy changes that will follow that statement to show that Black lives do matter," Marin said about the approved mural.

Berwyn prepares for riots

*Benjamin Henning speaks during the Black Lives Matter rally outside of Berwyn's City Hall on Aug. 11th. Photo by Jesus J. Montero*

According to records obtained by Cicero Independiente, Berwyn police monitored social media and were concerned that individuals not associated with the organized group could use it as an opportunity to “incite violence...using the group as cover.”

The incident briefing approved by the incident commander, Michael D. Cimaglia, called for an emphasis on controlling traffic in and around city hall, proactively monitoring public transportation patterns and having riot gear ready. The briefing includes various maps of barricade positions surrounding city hall. An email from Cimaglia addressed to city officials states that an additional 100 officers would be available to provide assistance for the rally.

The rally

At the rally speakers addressed racial profiling by the police department, police supporting vigilante violence on June 1 and not having a coordinated response for Black and Brown residents battling COVID-19.

After seeing the unrest in Cicero and Berwyn the week of June 1, rally organizer Benjamin Henning felt a rally was needed for residents still looking for answers, "The people wanted to come together and show Black residents of Berwyn that we were not alone when we felt alone for so long."

"There are things that we want to change. It's not just about the mural. It was a time of unity and to spread the message and keep the momentum up. This is just the beginning," Henning shared.

Throughout the entire rally, at least eight police officers were on the city hall's roof. One officer was using a handheld recorder while another used a camera to take pictures of rally goers. At least one other officer had what appeared to be a rifle.

Many of the rally speakers noted Berwyn's history of being a sundown town. A sundown town, through local customs and laws, forbade Black and other racial groups from remaining in the city after dark.

Berwyn resident Yesenia Cerbin attended the rally with her daughter to show support for Black Lives Matter, "As women of color, we have to support communities of color. When we see injustice, we have to stand together."

*The rally ended with speakers and community members sharing their view on the town’s handling of ongoing race issues on Aug. 11th. Photo by Jesus J. Montero*

The rally ended with a march around the city hall from Wesley Avenue to Euclid Avenue. Supporting residents watched from their homes. Biked police followed the march.

Former Democratic candidate for Illinois' 7th Congressional District Anthony Clark ended the march around city hall, encouraging the demonstrators to research the police's history, "Look up the history of police. The institution of the police was literally created to maintain slavery, to maintain white properties."

"Nothing has changed. We went from plantations to prisons," Clark told the rally.

Organizers behind the rally released a statement outlining their concerns within Berwyn and the police department.

The full statement can be read here.

The Diversity Commission

Berwyn's Diversity Commission was formed in 2019 in response to allegations of racial profiling by Berwyn police.

*Biked Berwyn police along 26th street. The police followed the march around city hall on Aug. 11. Photo by Jesus J. Montero*

On Aug. 24, board members Andrea Munday and Rev. Doris Green resigned. The resignation letter, addressed to the board, Alderwoman Ruiz, and Mayor Lovero, accuses the Berwyn's administration of gaslighting women and Black people, lack of governmental transparency, public accountability and conflicts of interest within the administration.

“[I] felt like the city was actively blocking honest inquiries into police activity and the police department showed no urgency or effort towards sensible reforms," explained Munday at a September city council meeting.

Munday served as the Chair to the Diversity Commission while Rev. Doris Green served as the Commissioner, respectfully. Rev. Green was the only Black board member.

Berwyn City Council

At the August and September city council meetings following the rally, Berwyn residents have questioned the police show of force and wondered whether the heavy police presence was necessary for the rally.

Complaints, in particular, have been made, of the many officers on the roof with cameras and weapons.

“We apologize for the concern and uncomfortableness this may have caused,” reads a statement released by the mayor and the Berwyn Police Department on Sept. 8.

Isabell Gomez Smith, who attended the rally with her family, in an email statement read at the city council meeting shared that while at the rally, her five-year old son asked, "Police fight Black Lives Matter?"

Mayor Lovero hasn't responded to requests for comment on the mural and ongoing conversations with Berwyn Black Lives Matter organizers.