North Cook News

Illinois House District 17 candidate Jim Geldermann says Democratic leadership is to blame for the "elite-funded" riot on June 10 in downtown Chicago.

The riot, which began as an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest, resulted in widespread destruction including vandalized police cars, federal buildings, and monuments. 

Protesters defaced a Tesla with swastikas, multiple police officers were assaulted and 17 people were arrested. 

The violence has drawn national attention—not only for its intensity but for questions surrounding who is funding the unrest.

“These protests are funded by Democrat billionaires and are not grassroots,” Geldermann told North Cook News. “The Democrats are standing with illegal aliens who have committed and have been convicted of horrible crimes and against American citizens and legal aliens.”

The remarks come as federal lawmakers call for a deeper investigation into groups tied to the violence. 

At the center is Neville “Roy” Singham, a former Chicago tech entrepreneur linked to the Chinese Communist Party. Singham’s nonprofit, the People’s Forum, reportedly funds the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), which allegedly provided materials for the June 10 protest. 

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is urging the Justice Department to investigate Singham and his wife, Code Pink founder Jodie Evans, over possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Geldermann also accused Democratic officials of obstructing law enforcement in the name of political optics.

“The fact that the Democrats are ordering law enforcement to, at the least, stand down, and at the worst ordering state and local government employees to hinder federal law enforcement in executing their duties.” Geldermann said. “We’ve seen state and local government officials ordering law enforcement to stand by as lives are threatened and property looted and burned.” 

The anti-ICE riot in Chicago occurred alongside large-scale unrest in Los Angeles, which has cost the city close to $20 million including nearly $600,000 in damage to municipal buildings. 

The June 10 riot also coincides with growing public dissatisfaction toward Illinois leadership. 

Gov. JB Pritzker is facing backlash over his administration’s allocation of $638 million in aid illegal aliens, including $160 million earmarked for shelter and job programs. 

Critics argue the money diverts critical resources from already-struggling Illinoisans.

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's approval rating has plunged to just 6%, as crime rates remain high and city services underperform.

Geldermann sees these developments as part of a long-running pattern in Democratic politics. 

“The Democrat Party has always had associated groups that have supplemented their quest for power. These groups span the range from grievances to violence,” Geldermann said. “They are prime examples of tools in the extortionists toolbox. They are used to cut people of principle out of the herd, isolate them, and silence them.” 

He also criticized the media’s role in shaping public understanding of the unrest. 

“The accomplice media, through misleading headlines, incendiary adjectives, and reporting by omission, purposely promote a false narrative to support the Democrat machine,” he said. 

Geldermann, a former trustee of the pro-gay Log Cabin Republicans, is a staunch Trump supporter. He framed the unrest as a cultural battle between American ideals and forces of chaos.

“President Trump, in the tradition of other Republican presidents, will not let the predators take over our streets,” he said. “You see other communities that are dedicated to the core principles of our founding are standing up and telling the lawless the consequences of their actions. A clean line in the sand has been drawn, that men of conscience will stand against the agents of chaos — the insurrectionists who wish to destroy our society by crashing all the institutions that serve our citizens.”

Images from the June 10 anti-ICE protest in Chicago. (Terry Newsome)