Batavia GOP Chair Rose McNaul says Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson failed to empower law enforcement to do their jobs as anti-ICE riots roiled the city of Chicago in the days before “No Kings” protests swept through suburban Illinois.
Johnson, a leftist Democrat, has only a 6% approval rating.
“I am aware Mayor Johnson is firmly on the side of the rioters as he has given little to no power to CPD to protect themselves, citizens, nor enforce the law,” McNaul told the Kane County Reporter.
McNaul’s comments follow the violent anti-ICE rally on June 10, when thousands marched in downtown Chicago, clashed with police, and led to 17 arrests. During that riot, vandals defaced police vehicles, spray-painted swastikas on a Tesla and injured several officers.
The unrest spread nationwide to 35 cities across 19 states following mass deportation raids and led to the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
“Trump’s LA response—700 Marines, 2,000 National Guard—stopped looting, showing strength progressives like California’s Gavin Newsom lack,” McNaul said.
That unrest preceded the June 14 “No Kings” protests—part of a nationwide anti-Trump movement active in over 1,800 cities—which coincided with President Trump’s 79th birthday, the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, and a major Flag Day parade in Washington, D.C., drawing sharp ideological lines across communities.
While Batavia remained largely calm, neighboring cities such as Geneva, Aurora and Elgin saw large-scale protests, with demonstrators lining major roads and chanting slogans like “No kings in America.”
The suburban rallies were organized in part by Batavia-Aurora Area Indivisible.
Indivisible was previously involved in 2020’s BLM riots, which resulted in 15 deaths, over 284 injured officers and property damage exceeding $66 million in Chicago alone.
“As Batavia’s GOP leader, I’m committed to keeping our city safe and strong,” McNaul said. “We've seen this play out in 2020, these groups are not ‘for the people’... they only further divide us as citizens. We must learn from the past!”
The “No Kings” movement has gained notoriety for its confrontational tactics.
McNaul condemned the goals and tactics of “No Kings,” calling them a “progressive attempt to undermine President Trump’s America First agenda—secure borders, economic strength, and military pride.”
The June 14 demonstrations coincided with three highly symbolic events: President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and a massive Flag Day parade in Washington D.C. attended by the president himself.
McNauls condemned the movement’s aims and the violence seen at recent rallies.
“I stand for peaceful protest as a constitutional right but reject chaos that threatens our close-knit community,” McNaul said.
She defended Flag Day celebrations as “a patriotic display of strength” and accused progressives of trying to hijack the occasion.
“Our flag stands for freedom, not their divisive narrative,” she said.
McNaul reaffirmed her belief that the narrative around the events had been distorted.
“Flag Day parades aren’t authoritarian—it’s a patriotic display of strength, unlike the left’s narrative of victimhood,” she said. “As the daughter and wife of combat veterans, I take every opportunity to celebrate our country and the freedoms we've been afforded by the men and women who gave all... especially in hindsight when we know they did not have to.”
McNaul also voiced strong support for the MAGA movement, framing the protests as a distraction from real issues affecting everyday citizens.
“MAGA as a political moment is about restoring America’s greatness through policies that prioritize citizens,” McNaul said. “Protests distract from real issues—crime, inflation, open borders, deep state politics—that hurt Batavians. Our MAGA values—law, order, and personal responsibility—ensure communities like ours thrive.”
Images from the June 10 anti-ICE riot in Chicago. (Terry Newsome)
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