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Louisville mayor upstaged by protesters at news conference: video
By Dom Calicchio
Published July 12, 2020
It appears nobody had Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer’s back during a news conference on Friday.
While making an announcement at a city housing project, the mayor’s speech was interrupted by protesters who came up from behind him, and drowned him out with chants of “Fire! Fire! Gentrifier!” while holding a large banner.
Others signs referred to the Black Lives Matter movement and protesters also made remarks about the March 13 fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor, which has rocked Kentucky’s largest city, the Courier Journal of Louisville reported.
LOUISVILLE POLICE OFFICERS WALK OUT ON MAYOR AS FORM OF PROTEST, CLAIMING DISRESPECT
Video of Fischer’s news conference was posted on social media -- showing the mayor speaking with the protesters and then slinking away as the demonstrators took control.
Another video showed some protesters following Fischer to his vehicle and chanting – and placing signs on the vehicle’s front window, the newspaper reported.
Afterward, a mayoral spokeswoman said Fischer was in the city’s Portland neighborhood to announce a $2.9 million investment in affordable housing. She added that he supports the rights of the public to engage in peaceful protests.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
"The Mayor has consistently advocated for and supports peaceful protests over the impact of systemic racism, and he remains committed to restoring public trust in ongoing efforts to address the racial inequalities that have plagued our city and our nation for far too long," spokeswoman Jean Porter told the Courier Journal.
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Fischer, 62, a Democrat, has been mayor of Louisville since January 2011.
In June, dozens of city police officers walked out on Fischer in protest, with a police union official saying afterward that officers felt “disrespected” as they worked to maintain law and order amid numerous riots and protests in recent weeks.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/louisville-mayor-upstaged-by-protesters-at-news-conference-video