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SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP: Hundreds march to Gov. Rick Snyder's home to protest emergency financial manager law (with video and photo slideshow)
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Hundreds of people joined together in a march to Gov. Rick Snyder’s Superior Township home Monday evening to protest Public Act 4, which places emergency financial managers in struggling cities throughout Michigan.
Hundreds of people joined together in a march to Gov. Rick Snyder’s Superior Township home, near Ann Arbor, Monday evening to protest Public Act 4, which places emergency financial managers in struggling cities throughout Michigan.
The event, which was held “in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.,” was promoted on Facebook by Occupy for Democracy, and was supported by several other organizations, including other Occupy groups within the state, United Auto Workers, Washtenaw Community Action Team, AFSCME and the NAACP.
Zachary Steve, Young Democrats of Michigan president and one of the event organizers, said Public Act 4 take away the individual’s vote and is un-American.
“We came out here because the emergency manager law gives one individual the power over a city or school district, the ability to cut any contracts, to bust our unions, the ability to remove the elected officials that the people decided on within that city,” he said.
Steve said the turnout was good, and better than he had expected.
“I think we had somewhere around 2,000 people here. We definitely made our voice heard,” he said. “We got the point across that this is un-American in its implementation.”
Although Steve estimates attendance at 2,000, Michigan State Police officers estimated the group to be between 800 and 1,000.
Those in attendance hailed from all over the state.
Johnie Douglas came with church members from the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit to protest Public Act 4. She said the act takes away the right to vote and is potentially dangerous in the momentum it could gather across the country. Continued...
The event, which was held “in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.,” was promoted on Facebook by Occupy for Democracy, and was supported by several other organizations, including other Occupy groups within the state, United Auto Workers, Washtenaw Community Action Team, AFSCME and the NAACP.
Zachary Steve, Young Democrats of Michigan president and one of the event organizers, said Public Act 4 take away the individual’s vote and is un-American.
“We came out here because the emergency manager law gives one individual the power over a city or school district, the ability to cut any contracts, to bust our unions, the ability to remove the elected officials that the people decided on within that city,” he said.
Steve said the turnout was good, and better than he had expected.
“I think we had somewhere around 2,000 people here. We definitely made our voice heard,” he said. “We got the point across that this is un-American in its implementation.”
Although Steve estimates attendance at 2,000, Michigan State Police officers estimated the group to be between 800 and 1,000.
Those in attendance hailed from all over the state.
Johnie Douglas came with church members from the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit to protest Public Act 4. She said the act takes away the right to vote and is potentially dangerous in the momentum it could gather across the country. Continued...
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“The emergency manager takes away the citizen’s right to vote,” she said. “And if they start taking away citizens' rights in one place, that movement will escalate and there’s no telling just how far down the hill we’ll go from there on. So, it’s time to stop it now before it gets really going.”
Muskegeon Heights resident Charles Nash made the trek to Ann Arbor because public schools in his community have been threatened with having an emergency financial manager come in.
“It (Public Act 4) has hit Muskegeon Heights, where we come from,” he said. “Muskegeon Heights has a long tradition of public school in jeopardy right now with this law. We’re trying to get some to listening ears so that we can give them some solutions to try to help save the schools instead of a complete takeover.”
Doug Smith, a retired University of Michigan professor, came to the protest because he is concerned about how much of Michigan’s jobs and technology is being sent to China.
“Rick Snyder has a lot of his wealth invested in China,” he said. “When he goes to China is he representing us, or is he representing the Chinese?”
Not everyone who attended the event was protesting, however.
Stacy Swimp, president of the Frederick Douglass Foundation in Lansing said passing the blame onto Snyder doesn’t fix any problems. He said people need to start taking personal responsibility for their lives.
“At the end of the day, when Al Sharpton and others come in to our state trying to blame the Republican Party and our governor of racism when we’re trying to fix the mess that irresponsible leaders in the urban cities create, we’re here to tell you you’re lying,” he said. “You need to stop passing the buck. Be personally responsible. That’s Dr. King’s message.”
Protesters gathered at Washtenaw Community College around 4 p.m. and then were shuttled or walked to Park Mill County Park where the group rallied for about an hour. Continued...
Muskegeon Heights resident Charles Nash made the trek to Ann Arbor because public schools in his community have been threatened with having an emergency financial manager come in.
“It (Public Act 4) has hit Muskegeon Heights, where we come from,” he said. “Muskegeon Heights has a long tradition of public school in jeopardy right now with this law. We’re trying to get some to listening ears so that we can give them some solutions to try to help save the schools instead of a complete takeover.”
Doug Smith, a retired University of Michigan professor, came to the protest because he is concerned about how much of Michigan’s jobs and technology is being sent to China.
“Rick Snyder has a lot of his wealth invested in China,” he said. “When he goes to China is he representing us, or is he representing the Chinese?”
Not everyone who attended the event was protesting, however.
Stacy Swimp, president of the Frederick Douglass Foundation in Lansing said passing the blame onto Snyder doesn’t fix any problems. He said people need to start taking personal responsibility for their lives.
“At the end of the day, when Al Sharpton and others come in to our state trying to blame the Republican Party and our governor of racism when we’re trying to fix the mess that irresponsible leaders in the urban cities create, we’re here to tell you you’re lying,” he said. “You need to stop passing the buck. Be personally responsible. That’s Dr. King’s message.”
Protesters gathered at Washtenaw Community College around 4 p.m. and then were shuttled or walked to Park Mill County Park where the group rallied for about an hour. Continued...
At 5 p.m., the group made the half-mile march to the gates of Geddes Glen, the community Snyder lives in.
As they rallied and marched, they were led in several chants, some of the most popular being “this is what democracy looks like” and “the people united will never be defeated. Both are chants that have been heavily used within the Occupy movement.
Protesters weren’t allowed past the gates to Geddes Glen, but several people live within the community stood at the gate to watch. All of them declined to comment, however.
By 6 p.m., the protesters dispersed from Geddes Glen after delivering a letter of complaints to members of Snyder’s staff. Police officers on site said no incidents had been reported to them at that time.
Staff Writer Krista Gjestland can be reached at kgjestland@heritage.com, 734-429-7380 or on Twitter @kgjestland.
Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel
As they rallied and marched, they were led in several chants, some of the most popular being “this is what democracy looks like” and “the people united will never be defeated. Both are chants that have been heavily used within the Occupy movement.
Protesters weren’t allowed past the gates to Geddes Glen, but several people live within the community stood at the gate to watch. All of them declined to comment, however.
By 6 p.m., the protesters dispersed from Geddes Glen after delivering a letter of complaints to members of Snyder’s staff. Police officers on site said no incidents had been reported to them at that time.
Staff Writer Krista Gjestland can be reached at kgjestland@heritage.com, 734-429-7380 or on Twitter @kgjestland.
Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel
Hundreds of people joined together in a march to Gov. Rick Snyder’s Superior Township home, near Ann Arbor, Monday evening to protest Public Act 4, which places emergency financial managers in struggling cities throughout Michigan.
The event, which was held “in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.,” was promoted on Facebook by Occupy for Democracy, and was supported by several other organizations, including other Occupy groups within the state, United Auto Workers, Washtenaw Community Action Team, AFSCME and the NAACP.
Zachary Steve, Young Democrats of Michigan president and one of the event organizers, said Public Act 4 take away the individual’s vote and is un-American.
“We came out here because the emergency manager law gives one individual the power over a city or school district, the ability to cut any contracts, to bust our unions, the ability to remove the elected officials that the people decided on within that city,” he said.
Steve said the turnout was good, and better than he had expected.
“I think we had somewhere around 2,000 people here. We definitely made our voice heard,” he said. “We got the point across that this is un-American in its implementation.”
Although Steve estimates attendance at 2,000, Michigan State Police officers estimated the group to be between 800 and 1,000.
Those in attendance hailed from all over the state.
Johnie Douglas came with church members from the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit to protest Public Act 4. She said the act takes away the right to vote and is potentially dangerous in the momentum it could gather across the country.
“The emergency manager takes away the citizen’s right to vote,” she said. “And if they start taking away citizens' rights in one place, that movement will escalate and there’s no telling just how far down the hill we’ll go from there on. So, it’s time to stop it now before it gets really going.”
Muskegeon Heights resident Charles Nash made the trek to Ann Arbor because public schools in his community have been threatened with having an emergency financial manager come in.
“It (Public Act 4) has hit Muskegeon Heights, where we come from,” he said. “Muskegeon Heights has a long tradition of public school in jeopardy right now with this law. We’re trying to get some to listening ears so that we can give them some solutions to try to help save the schools instead of a complete takeover.”
Doug Smith, a retired University of Michigan professor, came to the protest because he is concerned about how much of Michigan’s jobs and technology is being sent to China.
“Rick Snyder has a lot of his wealth invested in China,” he said. “When he goes to China is he representing us, or is he representing the Chinese?”
Not everyone who attended the event was protesting, however.
Stacy Swimp, president of the Frederick Douglass Foundation in Lansing said passing the blame onto Snyder doesn’t fix any problems. He said people need to start taking personal responsibility for their lives.
“At the end of the day, when Al Sharpton and others come in to our state trying to blame the Republican Party and our governor of racism when we’re trying to fix the mess that irresponsible leaders in the urban cities create, we’re here to tell you you’re lying,” he said. “You need to stop passing the buck. Be personally responsible. That’s Dr. King’s message.”
Protesters gathered at Washtenaw Community College around 4 p.m. and then were shuttled or walked to Park Mill County Park where the group rallied for about an hour.
At 5 p.m., the group made the half-mile march to the gates of Geddes Glen, the community Snyder lives in.
As they rallied and marched, they were led in several chants, some of the most popular being “this is what democracy looks like” and “the people united will never be defeated. Both are chants that have been heavily used within the Occupy movement.
Protesters weren’t allowed past the gates to Geddes Glen, but several people live within the community stood at the gate to watch. All of them declined to comment, however.
By 6 p.m., the protesters dispersed from Geddes Glen after delivering a letter of complaints to members of Snyder’s staff. Police officers on site said no incidents had been reported to them at that time.
Staff Writer Krista Gjestland can be reached at kgjestland@heritage.com, 734-429-7380 or on Twitter @kgjestland.
Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel
The event, which was held “in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.,” was promoted on Facebook by Occupy for Democracy, and was supported by several other organizations, including other Occupy groups within the state, United Auto Workers, Washtenaw Community Action Team, AFSCME and the NAACP.
Zachary Steve, Young Democrats of Michigan president and one of the event organizers, said Public Act 4 take away the individual’s vote and is un-American.
“We came out here because the emergency manager law gives one individual the power over a city or school district, the ability to cut any contracts, to bust our unions, the ability to remove the elected officials that the people decided on within that city,” he said.
Steve said the turnout was good, and better than he had expected.
“I think we had somewhere around 2,000 people here. We definitely made our voice heard,” he said. “We got the point across that this is un-American in its implementation.”
Although Steve estimates attendance at 2,000, Michigan State Police officers estimated the group to be between 800 and 1,000.
Those in attendance hailed from all over the state.
Johnie Douglas came with church members from the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit to protest Public Act 4. She said the act takes away the right to vote and is potentially dangerous in the momentum it could gather across the country.
“The emergency manager takes away the citizen’s right to vote,” she said. “And if they start taking away citizens' rights in one place, that movement will escalate and there’s no telling just how far down the hill we’ll go from there on. So, it’s time to stop it now before it gets really going.”
Muskegeon Heights resident Charles Nash made the trek to Ann Arbor because public schools in his community have been threatened with having an emergency financial manager come in.
“It (Public Act 4) has hit Muskegeon Heights, where we come from,” he said. “Muskegeon Heights has a long tradition of public school in jeopardy right now with this law. We’re trying to get some to listening ears so that we can give them some solutions to try to help save the schools instead of a complete takeover.”
Doug Smith, a retired University of Michigan professor, came to the protest because he is concerned about how much of Michigan’s jobs and technology is being sent to China.
“Rick Snyder has a lot of his wealth invested in China,” he said. “When he goes to China is he representing us, or is he representing the Chinese?”
Not everyone who attended the event was protesting, however.
Stacy Swimp, president of the Frederick Douglass Foundation in Lansing said passing the blame onto Snyder doesn’t fix any problems. He said people need to start taking personal responsibility for their lives.
“At the end of the day, when Al Sharpton and others come in to our state trying to blame the Republican Party and our governor of racism when we’re trying to fix the mess that irresponsible leaders in the urban cities create, we’re here to tell you you’re lying,” he said. “You need to stop passing the buck. Be personally responsible. That’s Dr. King’s message.”
Protesters gathered at Washtenaw Community College around 4 p.m. and then were shuttled or walked to Park Mill County Park where the group rallied for about an hour.
At 5 p.m., the group made the half-mile march to the gates of Geddes Glen, the community Snyder lives in.
As they rallied and marched, they were led in several chants, some of the most popular being “this is what democracy looks like” and “the people united will never be defeated. Both are chants that have been heavily used within the Occupy movement.
Protesters weren’t allowed past the gates to Geddes Glen, but several people live within the community stood at the gate to watch. All of them declined to comment, however.
By 6 p.m., the protesters dispersed from Geddes Glen after delivering a letter of complaints to members of Snyder’s staff. Police officers on site said no incidents had been reported to them at that time.
Staff Writer Krista Gjestland can be reached at kgjestland@heritage.com, 734-429-7380 or on Twitter @kgjestland.
Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel
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