08/28/2026
Outrage ensues in a Chicago-Area suburb as an Arab-American minor is violently assaulted by the town’s police department at a town hall.
On August 5th, during public comment at the monthly Oak Lawn Fire & Police Commission meeting in Illinois, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American, whose name was not released due to his age, was set to make a public comment. The commissioner called out his name and mispronounced it.
According to eyewitnesses at the scene, the minor corrected the commissioner and called him a “jack*ss”. The commissioner then ordered the police to remove him, which led the Oak Lawn Police Department to pick him up and slam him into a counter in the back of the public hall. He was then placed in a chokehold before being forced out of the room.
Since then, multiple civil rights and activist groups - such as the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) and Chicago Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (CAARPR) have called for accountability and justice, holding demonstrations and organising pressure campaigns.
Organisers have pointed out that Oak Lawn has a history of brutalising Arab-Americans within the city, despite the city having a sizeable Arab population.
In 2022, the Oak Lawn Police Department brutalised another Palestinian-American youth, Hadi Abuatelah, resulting in a large settlement to his family.
Also, in 2023, the Oak Lawn Police Department let an intoxicated woman walk away from the crime scene after she ran over and murdered Murod Kurdi. She received only a traffic ticket.
Activists say the distressing pattern shows the racist nature of the police department and vow to continue demonstrations until accountability and justice are achieved.
