‘Unfortunately they breed’: Indiana official resigns after comment about protesters
An Indiana councilman has resigned after “inappropriate” comments he made about Black Lives Matter protesters last week.
Allen County councilman Larry Brown stepped down Monday amid growing outrage over his remarks, which came during a filmed council meeting on June 18 while addressing calls for change after the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd, local station WANE reported.
Floyd, a Black man, was killed in police custody May 25 after a city officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. His death sparked nationwide protests and renewed calls for police reform.
Council members were discussing recent demonstrations in downtown Fort Wayne when Brown called the protesters “uneducated” and said they “also breed.”
Privilege is ‘wearing $200 sneakers’ with no job, Georgia mayor says. Backlash erupts
“As uneducated as they are on local government, they do vote,” Brown said, according to the TV station. “And unfortunately they also breed. But um, they do vote. And they’re going to be an uneducated voter.”
Calls for the councilman’s resignation were swift. An online petition urging Brown to quit had nearly 10,000 signatures by Monday afternoon.
“Brown’s comments are unacceptable and he must resign,” the petition reads. “His colleagues must issue public apologies for not responding swiftly to the outrageous comment and, instead, laughing. White silence in the face of racism is at best passive agreement and at worst an act of violence itself.”
A group affiliated with the Fort Wayne protests demanded Brown step down by 1 p.m. Monday, WPTA reported. They threatened to stage an “uneducated protest” outside his home if he didn’t, according to the news station.
Brown said he stands by his remarks, but apologized for the breeding comment.
“That was totally inappropriate. Very offensive,” he said, according to WAPT. “I recognize that. I wish I could pull it back, but it’s out there. Again, I apologize, and that’s about all I can do.”
Texas man threatens BLM protesters with AR-15 nearby in YouTube video, officials say
Council president Joel Benz reacted to news of Brown’s resignation Monday, saying it was “the correct choice and the only way to move forward.”
“I thank Mr. Brown for his years of public service and for his decision to put the community ahead of himself,” Benz said in a statement, according to Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly. “But Mr. Brown’s resignation does not solve the challenge laid bare by Thursday’s meeting. Allen County Council will continue to consider ways to make local government more inclusive, more understanding and more representative of our very diverse community.”
Brown’s seat is now listed as “vacant” on the county’s website.
“It is important that it become a part of the permanent record that these comments are and will always be unacceptable and not representative of the values of this community or of Allen County government,” Benz added.
