Thousands of people protested in Chicago on Saturday morning against gun violence and in favor of new gun laws.
One of the aims of the protest was to shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway, one of the city's main arterial roads.
At first, police let protesters march down just one lane of the freeway.
Then, the Chicago Tribune reports, two of the protest organizers, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson and Michael Pfleger, a local priest and activist, negotiated with authorities to shut down all the northbound lanes of the expressway for demonstrators to march along.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson even walked arm in arm with Pfleger and next to Jackson along the expressway.
Pfleger & @Chicago_Police Supt. are walking arm-in-arm on Dan Ryan, with thousands of protesters marching against violence #DanRyanShutdown https://t.co/ATSPRJC2VG
However, the Illinois governor was not OK with protesters shutting down the expressway. Gov. Bruce Rauner tweeted that the demonstrators "chose ... to cause chaos."
This is unacceptable. We had clear parameters that allowed the protestors to be heard while respecting law and order. Instead, they chose instead to cause chaos.
One of the things protesters wanted, according to a local reporter, was a meeting with Rauner.
Anti-violence protesters led by Father @MichaelPfleger march north on the Dan Ryan Expressway toward downtown #Chicago, chanting “Shut it down!” They want a meeting with young activists and Gov Rauner and Mayor Emanuel to discuss jobs, schools and gun violence #DanRyanShutDown https://t.co/GBMQvAfdYd
Rauner had previously tweeted that "democracy is at work," saying protesters had an agreement about where they would march.
Drivers and marchers, please be patient on the Dan Ryan today and pardon the inconvenience. Democracy is at work. Living up to our agreement so marchers could be on grass, shoulder, and part of first lane.
But Pfleger denied that any deal had been made between protesters and authorities to avoid shutting down the road.
I'm told that Gov. Rauner put out a statement that we had come to an agreement that we would walk on the shoulder of the road....that Mr. GOVERNOR is a LIE...No AGREEMENT HAS BEEN MADE
From the start of the protest, authorities had allowed protesters on several lanes of the expressway.
Rauner then blamed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for allowing the protest to briefly close the road.
I’m disappointed in the Mayor. There was an agreement in place. I am calling on the Mayor to take swift and decisive action to put an end to this kind of chaos. I will work with him in good faith and urge him to do his job so that the people of Chicago feel safe.
But Emanuel disagreed, telling Rauner, "Delete your account."
It was a peaceful protest. Delete your account. https://t.co/QoKyIHmuQj
Others were also frustrated that the governor had criticized the protest, particularly considering the high rate of gun violence in Chicago. "How disappointing for the governor of Illinois to call a peaceful protest chaos," tweeted one person.
@GovRauner How disappointing for the governor of Illinois to call a peaceful protest chaos, it shows how much in bedded Rauner is with the NRA and does not care about violence in Chicago and in our country. This is why voting is so important.🖕🏿🖕🏽🖕🏾🖕🏻
"They down talk us for taking PEACEFUL action but ignore the deaths of innocent people," tweeted another person.
I don’t understand how peacefully marching on the Dan Ryan was chaotic but losing people everyday to the streets of Chicago is not. They down talk us for taking PEACEFUL action but ignore the deaths of innocent people. #EnoughIsEnough #DanRyanShutdown
BuzzFeed News has contacted Rauner's office for comment on the criticism.