By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – With teenage organizers of Springfield Black Lives Matter on hand, Gov. JB Pritzker Tuesday led a roundtable discussion in which he praised the young people.

“This is an opportunity, you all have created an opportunity by virtue of the activism, your willingness to protest, your willingness to be heard,” Pritzker said. “And think about how many people you brought in that you didn’t know. They came because you provided the impetus for them to come. And it wasn’t just people from the black community, it was from every community. We saw that all across the state.”

Also on hand were Springfield’s two black aldermen, targets of Facebook posts by a city police officer.

“What we’ve seen in our history is a generational outcry for justice that has been too long stifled,” said Ald. Doris Turner.

A Springfield policeman posted that a crowd should show up on Turner’s block and that Ald. Shawn Gregory is a “f–king idiot.” That officer is now on desk duty.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]