Chicago police union boss says Trump pardons of Jan. 6 rioters are ‘absolutely wrong’

The head of the union representing Chicago police officers called out President Donald Trump’s pardons of people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building.

John Catanzara Jr. made the comments in a video posted on the FOP Chicago Lodge 7 YouTube page.

‘Extremely disappointing’

Catanzara called Trump’s pardons of the rioters "extremely disappointing" and "absolutely wrong."

"The reality is trespassing is quite different than violently attacking law enforcement officers, and for the January [6 defendants] that violently attacked officers, they should have been held accountable," Catanzara said in the video. "They should have had to serve out their sentences. It does send a bad signal."

Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 rioters who were convicted in the Jan. 6 attack. More than 500 people involved in the incident were sentenced and more than 300 were serving prison sentences.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Protesters gather on the second day of pro-Trump events fueled by President Donald Trump's continued claims of election fraud in an to overturn the results before Congress finalizes them in a joint session of the 117th Co

Catanzara, echoing a statement by the national FOP, also called out the pardons issued by now former-President Joe Biden of people convicted of crimes. The national organization endorsed Trump for president.

"Just because he does something stupid and improper, or illegal, doesn’t mean that it makes it OK for the other side to do that," he said. "That argument was always a joke. We need to do better and we need to demand better."

‘A political football’

Catanzara also called out Democratic lawmakers for what he framed as a hypocritical stance against the Jan. 6 pardons.

"For the left to now try and claim the high ground, the moral high ground, and, supposedly, backing the blue is a farce," he said.

Catanzara also criticized Illinois lawmakers for abolishing cash bail and how local officials handled violent protests in 2020 in which police officers were injured. He specifically referenced a protest at the Christopher Columbus statue in Chicago in 2020 in which dozens of officers were injured.

"Let’s not kid anybody that now, all of the sudden, Democrats are now pro-Back the Blue," Catanzara said. "It’s never been the case for quite a long time and it’s not changing anytime soon."

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