Simeon students trash Chatham Market Walmart on 83rd last Thursday

[VIDEO] I'm with Alderman Howard Brookins (Ward 21) where Simeon and the Walmart is located. Ald. Brookins years ago was at the front of a battle to bring Walmart to the south side and by 2011 it was time for a ground breaking to build this store. Indeed it's hard work to bring national retailers to south side neighborhoods as Chatham only for this activity to happen.

As you know last week there were nationwide protests against guns last week and high school students around the nation took part in demonstrations. Unfortunately there were a group of young people who took advantage of being allowed to take part in these protest to engage in this form of mayhem. Not just outright trash the local Walmart store, also to engage in small time theft.

From FOX 32:

Chicago police say it started when students at neighboring Simeon Career Academy were allowed to leave the school for 17 minutes to take part in the nationwide walkout to protest guns.

Police say between 40 and 60 of those students crossed the street and trashed parts of the store, knocking over product displays, yanking items off shelves, breaking packages and stealing small items like chips and candy.

In a statement, a Chicago Public Schools spokesperson says: "We are very concerned by these allegations and we are reviewing the matter."

Some of the students that FOX 32 talked to at Simeon say they're angry that a walkout intended to promote peace instead led to vandalism and violence.

In my mind, now this can lead to questions as to whether or not students should be allowed to leave school to engage in activism. I'm all for our young people engaging in various aspects of their civic duty which is certainly to protest, however, we can never tolerate unfortunate incidents such as this.