Mayor Brown sees pushback after he defends removal of protesters from Niagara Square
NEW THIS AFTERNOON-- MAYOR BROWN ISDEFENDING BOTHTHAT DECISION TOREMOVEPROTESTERS...ANDHIS POLICEREFORMS... WHILESOME QUESTIONWHETHER HE PUTTHEM FORWARD "INGOOD FAITH".I'M SORTING THROUGHTHE BACK AND FORTHFOR YOU....BETWEENTHE CITY OFBUFFALO.... ANDTHOSE DEMANDINGCHANGE.THERE WERE PEOPLEIN NIAGARA SQUAREWHO WERE NOTPEACEFUL I DON'TWANT TO MAKE ANYMISTAKE ABOUT ITMAYOR BROWN ISDOUBLING DOWN ONTHE CITY'S DECISIONTO ARREST 13PROTESTERS INNIAGARA SQUARE THEDAY HIS NEW POLICEREFORMS WERE SETTO TAKE EFFECT.REFORMS THATWOULD HAVEPREVENTED THE 13FROM BEINGDETAINED.THOSE INDIVIDUALS,THE 13 THAT WEARRESTED POSED ATHREAT TO THECOMMUNITY THROUGHTHEIR BEHAVIOR ANDTHAT'S WHY THEYWERE ARRESTED.ALL OF A SUDDEN THENIGHT OF THE REFORMBEING PASSED, 11PROTESTERS DECIDETO BE VIOLENT?BROWN CLAIMS THEPROTESTERS WERETHREATENINGVISITORS TO THESQUARE, PEOPLEGOING TO-AND-FROMWORK, AS WELL ASBATHING IN THEFOUNTAIN.ALL HONESTY IT WASS SLAP IN THE FACE.MERCEDESOVERSTREET SAYSTHE MAYOR'S CLAIMSARE OFF-BASE.POSITIVITY IS BEINGPUSHED AND THINGSARE BEING DONE,WHAT WOULD THEIRPURPOSE BE OF DOINGTHAT WHEN THEYWERE OUT THERE FORWEEKS AT A TIMEALREADY BEINGPEACEFUL?IF THEY WERETHREATENING, WHYWEREN'T THEYARRESTED ANDCHARGED FORTHREATS?
WHAT WESAW WASOBSTRUCTIONBECAUSE THEYREFUSED TO LEAVE.THAT'S VERYDIFFERENT THAT WHATTHE MAYOR HAS SPOKEABOUT.A CONCERN FROMREFORM GROUPS ISTHE PEOPLEARRESTED WERENOT ACTUALLY THEONES CAUSING THEPROBLEMS.THE PROBLEM I'MHAVING IS WHEN WEPAINT THE NARRATIVETHAT THE 13INDIVIDUALS THATWERE ARRESTEDWERE THE ONES WHOPUT OUT THOSE SOCALLED THREATS.THERE'S NO INDICATIONTHAT THOSE 13 FOLKSWERE THE ONE TOTHREATEN FOLKS ORTHE ONES WHO WERECOMING DOWNTOWNTO SUPPORT IN OTHERWAYS THAT THEYMIGHT NOT HAVE LIKEDOR ENDORSED.ALL 13 PEOPLE WERECHARGED WITHOBSTRUCTION OFGOVERNMENTALADMINISTRATION,BEING IN A PARKAFTER HOURS ANDSLEEPING IN THEPARK.
THEY WEREISSUED APPEARANCETICKETS
A group of protesters gathered in Niagara Square and marched throughout Buffalo, including to the home of Mayor Byron Brown on..