Homewood and Flossmoor officials said the protest march on Tuesday that wound its way through the  two villages was peaceful and resulted in no incidents of violence or property damage.

The march began at Irwin Park in Homewood and traversed about five miles through Homewood and Flossmoor. Hundreds of people of various ages, races and genders held signs protesting police violence toward people of color. 

Flossmoor Police Chief Tod Kamleiter monitored the march from his squad car.
 
“It was very peaceful. Everyone involved were all very respectful,” he said. “It was powerful to watch and to be a part of.”

Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld said he was briefed by police about the event and agreed that it went well.

“I’m proud of the actions taken by the marchers. They represented their cause well, and I’m proud of our police dept and our neighboring police department,” he said.

The Homewood Police Department did not respond to the Chronicle’s request for additional information.

Kamleiter said officers didn’t attempt to direct the marchers but were there to provide safe passage.

Flossmoor police were initially on the scene to provide support for Homewood officers. Police thought the event would be a rally in Irwin Park. When the crowd started marching, officers shifted their approach accordingly.

“It was a fluid situation and we had no information on the scope of the event or the groups intentions to mobilize,” Kamleiter said.

He noted that the department’s approach to events like the march is guided by the 10 Shared Principles, a document that the department and village adopted in 2019, and he said the principles affirming trust, transparency, community relationships and impartiality particularly applied to the event Tuesday.