Minneapolis council member accuses colleagues of bullying during heated debate
Tempers rise at Minneapolis City Council meeting
Tempers flare as Minneapolis City Councilmembers butt heads during a meeting Thursday. FOX 9's Mike Manzoni has more.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minneapolis City Council meeting broke down into a heated argument on Thursday, with one member accusing others of bullying and another challenging the president to get the meeting in order.
Editor's note: The previous title of the video below mischaracterized Council Member Chowdhury's statement. It has been updated to correctly reflect what she said.
Minneapolis council member: ‘Someone calls me a f--king child’
A heated debate during Thursday's Minneapolis council meeting turned personal as Council Member Aurin Chowdhury accused fellow members of bullying.
Divestment debate
What we know:
Council members were discussing a resolution urging European financial institutions to divest from companies that enable the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
The debate on that resolution followed debate over another resolution urging the Trump administration to end its executive order on Cuba that has caused disorder there.
Tempers flare after Minneapolis council meeting gets heated
A Minneapolis City Council meeting broke down into a heated argument on Thursday, with one member accusing others of bullying and another challenging the president to get the meeting in order.
Local perspective:
For both resolutions, some members questioned why the body was worrying about international issues when Minneapolis had its own problems to deal with.
The conflict:
The problems seemed to begin as Council Member Elizabeth Shaffer began to speak. There is an argument between council members off mic. Correction: A previous version of this article identified this argument between council members Chowdhury and Vetaw. However,
Vetaw could be heard saying, "Don't tell me what to do."
Later, Vetaw chided Council President Elliot Payne, saying he needs to "learn how to run a meeting."
"I'm growing tired of this selective call out of people," she added. "Council Member Chowdhury literally just made a comment that I didn't even know was directed at me."
"I've certainly heard Council Member Wonsley today make snarky comments and noises at people when she didn't like how people voted," Vetaw added. "The same thing is going on with Chowdhury's tantrum she's having up here because we're not voting like she wants us to."
"I don't come to work to be bullied"
Big picture view:
Payne admonished Vetaw for breaking council standards in her comments.
As the debate continued, things continued to get personal.
Council Member Chowdhury seemed to get emotional at one point, accusing other members of bullying her.
"When I'm chairing a meeting and someone calls me a f--king child," she recalled. "I'm just doing a direct quote. It's not fair. It's not okay. I don't want to come to work to be bullied."
The "f--cking child" remark is a reference to a comment made by Council Member Rainville during the Committee of a Whole meeting on Monday. In a clip posted by Wedge LIVE, Rainville after asking about the timing of their lunch break, is heard uttering, "these f--king children."
At that point, Payne put the meeting in recess to calm things down.
'I've been ICE'd my whole damn life'
What they're saying:
When they returned, Council Member Pearl Warren made an emotional plea, urging the council to concern itself with what's going on in Minneapolis.
"What ICE is doing is disgusting," she said. "But I've been ICE'd my whole damn life."
"When Black babies are being slaughtered on the streets, I don't see protesters pulling up to stop the violence that continues to perpetuate in north Minneapolis," she added. "I'm tired. I'm angry. I'm pissed off. But I won't allow it to stop my productivity and what needs to be done for the community."
End result:
The council ultimately approved both resolutions.