On Saturday, crowds estimated by various sources in the hundreds up to thousands descended on the Millennium Park, which bars those under 21 after a certain hour. Instead, the teens smashed cars and jumped up and down on trapped vehicles, with police having to escort tourists back to their hotels in the area.Chicago police said two teens,16 and 17 years old, were wounded by a gunman in the crowd.One woman told Fox 32 her husband was attacked and beaten after a group of teens jumped up and down on the couple’s windshield. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

“In no way do I condone the destructive activity we saw in the Loop and lakefront this weekend. It is unacceptable and has no place in our city. However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities.”

Johnson’s condemnation of violence felt like an obligatory preamble hoping to ward off criticism. The statement’s real rhetorical energy came only at the end: Johnson and his fledgling transition team apparently saw the weekend violence downtown as a chance to offer a sociological admonishment to those who were frightened.No criticizing the kids, the mayor-elect says, even if you ran hard and fast at the sound of gunshots or decided to check out of your Loop hotel early, eat the bill and take your next spring break in a city other than Chicago.Mr. Mayor-elect, this is not going to work.For starters, Chicagoans were not “demonizing youth” but reacting to criminal behavior. Everyone of all ages should be able to enjoy a warm weekend in Chicago. That hardly means standing by as a bus is set on fire.If hardened journalists feel unsafe in downtown Chicago, let alone tourists, that’s a serious issue.If the husband of “a woman whose car was smashed by people jumping on the windshield” was beaten as he sat behind the wheel, as the woman reported, that’s a serious issue.