CTU Criticized After Mourning Assata Shakur

The Chicago Teachers Union drew sharp criticism after an X post mourning Assata Shakur and calling her a "revolutionary fighter," quoting her call to "fight for our freedom." Shakur was convicted in 1977 of killing New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a 1973 shootout, escaped prison in 1979 and lived in Cuba in exile for decades; Cuban officials said she died this week in her late 70s. She had been on FBI and New Jersey most-wanted lists with multimillion-dollar rewards offered for information leading to her capture. The union's tribute prompted backlash from law-enforcement supporters, conservative commentators and others, and has revived long-standing controversies over Shakur's case, U.S.–Cuba relations and the CTU's political stances.