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Yesterday, we briefly mentioned that Viola Plummer, former City Council staffer under Councilman Charles Barron, was forcibly removed from a City Council meeting. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn fired Plummer, who had heckled her during meetings and referenced an "assassination" of another City Council member (assassination of his career, Plummer later claimed), for not agreeing to behave during meetings. Plummer filed a $1 million lawsuit against Quinn and continues to work for Barron as a volunteer.
However, Quinn made it clear Plummer would only be allowed to visit City Council meetings as a member of the public. But yesterday Plummer entered the floor of the chambers, instead of the visitor's gallery, and all hell broke loose.
The Sun counted three police officers and four security guards, not to mention Barron rolling up his sleeves to act as a "buffer" between Plummer and security. Some remarks from Plummer, Barron and Quinn:
From the Sun:Wow, can you tell that Barron and Quinn are thinking running for city offices in 2009?
"This was a selective enforcement of the law so that they can continue the harassment, the retaliation, and the discrimination against not Viola Plummer and Charles Barron, but black people in general," Mr. Barron said. "This is another form of Jim Crow-ism. They want us to sit in the back of the bus, in the balcony, anytime you are an assertive black, and that's the problem in City Hall." Plummer, who appeared visibly shaken by the standoff, said it should make no difference where she sits during a council meeting. What Ms. Quinn "thought she could do, and what she almost did, was to provoke me," Plummer said. "I have a history, I have a history, of dealing with the likes of Christine Quinn."From the Daily News:
"Viola Plummer is no longer an employee of the New York City Council," Quinn told reporters. "She's not an employee, or a Council member or a government official, and those are the categories of individuals who can be on the floor during a City Council meeting."Barron held his own press conference and declared: "We are not bowing down to white supremacy because that is what she is acting like, a white supremacist."
Quinn's only response was, "Council member Barron can use whatever language he chooses, but I have an obligation to make sure the business of this institution gets done."
Plummer also reportedly compared Quinn to Bull Connor. The Wonkster reports that after the hubbub, City Councilwoman Helen Foster "demanded police check everyone on the floor of the chamber to make sure they were supposed to be there under the council’s rule – an apparent jab to Quinn’s decision," but that there were some City Council members who sided with Quinn. No quotes, though, from Leroy Comrie, the black City Councilman who Plummer had "threatened" (because he didn't participate in a vote).
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christine, you will never be mayor.
mr. christine quinn.
Barron and his posse of Black Panthers need to get out of my news.
Shame on all of them, this is how they spend their time and our tax money. Throw ALL these bums out. I hope Plummer was cited for trespassing so she can be arrested next time she sets foot in the building.
There is no way this situation can possibly be resolved to everyone's satisfaction.
But regardless of what happens, it's clear who the losers will be: The people of NYC, whose elected officials are wasting time with grandstanding and infighting rather than DOING THEIR JOBS.
yes, things get settled so easily when the term "racism" is thrown around. So, #1 is there a little homophobia in your "Mr." Quinn comment?
Jen Chung and Gothamist should thank Barron, since Barron articles tend to be the longest, most detailed, and probably drive the most web traffic to this site.
Maybe there isn't a comment from Leroy Comrie, because he may be doing what he was elected to do in the council. Serve the people who elected him by voting on issues that affect their daily lives.
Actually, Leroy Comrie is probably the first councilman who hasn't whored himself out to the media. I like him, whoever he is.
This whole thing is a stupid sideshow circus, with Quinn as the ringmaster, Barron and Plumer as the clowns, and the tabloids/online "media" as the cheering fools.
Now I'm beginning to understand why Giuliani just outright ignored these people! LOL
Plummer was trying to compare herself to Rosa Parks on NY1 this morning.
Yeah. Exactly the same thing.
Barron is an idiot. This is no issue about race. Plummer is not an employee, therefore she has to enter into the visitor's gallery. Hello?!?
Is there any government institution less connected with reality than the New York City Council?
mr. quinn will not be my mayor if I can help it.
Mr. Barron has declared he wants to run for Brooklyn Boro President but will take care of black people. Ms. Plummer calls for the "assasination" of someone who disagreed with her regarding a street naming.
They are divisive and have already proven by their own remarks that they will never truly be able to represent the diverse population of this city.
Neither of these people should be collecting any money as employees from NYC and they should not be allowed to be disruptive in any city government proceeding.
Viola - don't let the door hit you in the backside.........
I bet Abe Lincoln in his grave is having second thoughts.
I'm regretting voting for mr. quinn.
so far he's veered far away from all her election promises and went to bed with corporate culture and the community who voted for him.
Seriously, enough with the Mr. Quinn BS. What point you might be trying to make is lost in the screaming idiocy of your immaturity.
As for Barron, all I can say is thank god I don't live in Brooklyn, it's gonna be a nasty, nasty race for boro pres.
And Ms. Plummer, how about you think about whose name you besmirch by calling upon the spirit of Ms. Parks. You're not worthy of riding the same bandwagon, let alone bus.
The Mr. Quinn tag is getting old. If you are going to be a homophobe at least try to be witty. Same thing for you racist freaks out there. I heard the line about Lincoln in his grave back in the day and I'm old. If hate is all you got at least be original.
Way to be a stereotypical charicature, Ms. Plummer.
barron and viola looked like 2 idiots with their fists in the air. i can understand this being a sensitive issue for them, but whats with all of the jim crow, rosa parks, white supremacist remarks. a little ridiculous.
viola reminds me of some "women of color" who stormed out of biology class in the 9th and called the teacher racist for politely asked her to stop eating her dipsy doodles in class.
To #11 -
No.
Lincoln was not a racist, he was just drunk.
Just because the observation is old doesn't make it any less real. Individuals like Barron and his nappy headed bitch doesn't make it easier for assimilation, if indeed they want that. Apparently they don't.
yes, mr. quinn will never be mayor.
and it's not just me who has seen the truth. she's reneged on all her pre-election promises.
Goodbye, mr. quinn.
only racist is baron and his thugs.
Why does anyone, especially White people, take crackpots like Charles Barron and his gaggle of derelicts seriously? Too many Blacks act like spoiled children. You can't improve their behavior by validating it.
mr. quinn, your own people hate you. you will not be mayor.
Reverand Al seems to be making a living out of doing that sort of thing. Notice he kept his black ass low when those black thugs killed a policeman last week.
With all the gentrification in Brooklyn, Charles Barron will never be elected Borough Prez. It just ain't gonna happen.
I heard Plummer speak in an interview. Can't understand a damn thing.
Barron as Borough President. Wishful thinking or a crack dream?
My. My. The racists are just grooving to this story. Maybe Gothamist can to do a story about how backward some New Yorkers are when it comes to race. Keep trolling on you sad folk. Sure Barron and Plummer are talking pure silly noise but some of you folk here are no better.
God Bless you viola plummer and Charles barron.
fight the good fight.
never again.
Plummer be speaking ebonics and all. She be noin what needs be. Power to duh (sp) people and shit. Got's to get dem out der and vote and shit. Needs mur afordbl ousing projects and shit.
If she has a dream, I'm sure it wasn't what Martin had in mind.
If individuals think that rolling back the clock will be beneficial to their cause then they are in serious denial.
If Afro Americans believe that these two racists will further their cause of equality for all, then they are so far off a realization of that cause that they should just give it up and move back to "the old country." I'm sure their airfare will be paid by others that suffered from exploitation by "whitie" or people like him and cleanse america of scum.
I want Charles Barron, Christine Quinn, Elliot Spitzer, Viola Plummer and Joe Bruno in the octagon, no holds barred, every man/woman for themselves. Any bets on who'd come out on top? My money's on Quinn...with Plummer running a close second.
my goodness, the vile that comes out of some racists so easily.
molon labe.
What do black guys do all day?
Jen, why the use of quotation marks - Plummer had "threatened". ?
It was an explicit, outrageous, and disgraceful threat. Full stop.
I don't understand the overreaction on the part of Barron and Plummer? Why? Is it necessary to call Quinn a "White supremacist"? What does that have to do with the fact that Plummer was trespassing? Fine, maybe the rules are only enforced against Plummer because Quinn does not like her as a PERSON and has nothing to do with the fact that she is black?
Gothamist, can you give us the option of filtering out guest posts altogether instead of just greying them out? I'm sick of this shit.
You can, Mike B. At the top of the comments there's a link that says "Hide Guest Comments."
Seriously, the guest issue needs to be resolved. Either you sign in or you can't comment. Scary to think that so many people in this city are apparently David Duke sympathizers.
Isn't it possible to not agree with white supremacists yet still hate urban ghetto trash?
#37 - apparently the same as you. They surf the net and post silly comments on Gothamist.
Hiding in plain sight! Thanks, JMH.
Ha ha, "Mr. Quinn"! Sooo funny! This is probably the same 13-yr. old who asks what Al Sharpton has to say about any random issue.
funny.....i thought i was reading about the council meeting in south arkansas.these same types of issues come up here too.everything is racial issue no matter what the agenda is.renaming a steet after mr king i have a dream.we's got to spend mo moneys on the childrens,because we all know it takes a village.so on and so on and so on. same crap just another city facing the same black decay.
Taking the broader long-range (passive) approach, it is important that the ethnic cleansing of NYC proceed as quietly, efficiently and rapidly as market forces permit. Pricing targeted groups (by neighborhood) out of the housing market and refusal to provide jobs (i.e. economy) to the dependent so called 'obedient' subservients is the proper approach. Removing (surreptitiously) the economically non-viable segments of NYC's population along with the criminally active members of that population will assure those who remain will have clean-hands when the assessments are conducted post 2010. It is important that supremacy be enforced without apology, embarrassment or regret. Drugs, crime, and poverty are the province of the dregs of society and they ought not be allowed to flourish among decent Americans. Christine Quinn is on target (even if legally in error, regards to her authority) and as Mayor of the City of New York she will go the distance with 'the plan'. Quinn for Mayor! Protecting NY for all NYer's