Gov Pritzker Activates National Guard, Issues Disaster Proclamation to Quell Riots and Looting

Springfield, IL – Governor JB Pritzker today signed a disaster proclamation for nine counties in Illinois to expedite the use of state resources, personnel and equipment to help municipalities keep residents safe.

The counties include: Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Macon, Madison, Sangamon and Will.

The Governor also activated an additional 250 members of the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) to support various jurisdictions throughout the state in their work to protect communities.

“We have to take care of our communities and our people, and for that reason, we will continue to strategically deploy Illinois State Police and the National Guard as we work to protect Illinoisans and the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters,” said Governor JB Pritzker.

“We cannot allow those who have taken advantage of this moment to loot and smash to also steal the voices of those peacefully expressing a need for real, meaningful change. This anger doesn’t come out of nowhere – it’s born of decades and centuries of systemic racism and injustice. That’s what all of us have to recognize and that’s where our work begins.” Governor Pritzker also ordered Illinois State Police (ISP) to provide an additional 300 troopers to support local municipalities tonight into tomorrow.

This follows the Governor activating 375 Illinois National Guard soldiers for State Active Duty to fulfill a request for assistance from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The Guard is supporting local authorities in enforcing street closures around the city. In addition to the soldiers from the Illinois National Guard and troopers from the Illinois State Police, The State Emergency Operations Center is monitoring operations throughout the state and fulfilling requests from local governments.

Personnel from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and various mutual aid networks are actively working to assist. All state personnel deployed for operations, as well as soldiers on Active Duty will be outfitted with personal protective equipment, such as face shields and masks, to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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