Protesters showed up in force Monday night at a Charlotte City Council meeting, calling for Mayor Jennifer Roberts and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Kerr Putney to resign in the wake of last week's officer-involved shooting of Keith Scott.
More than 50 angry residents verbally lambasted City Council members for hours, complaining about what they called unaccountable police officers and civilian leaders who have failed to force change as the city marked a week of protests in the wake of the shooting.
Among the speakers were children who said they were too scared to leave their homes, including Zianna Oliphant, a girl who is so small that she needed a stool to be seen over the lectern.
In tears, she told the city councilors that she believes that she is treated differently because of her skin color.
"We are black people, and we shouldn't have to feel like this. We shouldn't have to protest because y'all are treating us wrong. We do this because we need to and we have rights," Zianna said.
Roberts encouraged her to speak her mind as other protesters cheered her on.
"It's a shame that our fathers and mothers are killed and we can't even see them anymore," she said. "It's a shame that we have to go to the graveyard and bury them. And we have tears, and we shouldn't have tears. We need our fathers and mothers to be by our side."
The meeting started on a tense note, with dozens refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, and seemed to get out of control early. Protestors called Charlotte City Council members incompetent and failures because of the way in which the protests were handled, and Roberts called for a 5-minute recess to give council members a breather.
"We hate you," one protester said.
Many of the speakers carried signs expressing their anger. One man's sign called for the repeal of legislation taking effect Saturday that blocks the release of police video without a court order. Many speakers demanded that police release all video footage of the confrontation.
Scott's family and advocacy groups have complained that the department divulged only about three minutes of footage from two cameras. They have urged the police department to release all its video footage and audio recordings that could clarify how the situation unfolded. A media coalition is also requesting the release of more footage.
"We have no reason to trust you, and you're giving us even less," Khasha Harris told City Council members.
Council member Kenny Smith said the council should be listening and taking action to answer the concerns.
"The unrest here has been decades in the making," council member Al Alston said. "Tuesday was the boiling point, and it's getting hotter."
Roberts found herself surrounded by people who no longer trust her. Her voice eventually became soft and her eyes appeared teary at times.
"We need leadership that is willing to stand up to speak boldly for truth and justice," the Rev. Trevor Beauford said.
"You do not deserve to be the mayor of this fine city," said protester Henry Lee.
There was one exception: The first speaker of the night said he supports Putney.
"I found the chief to be a man of very high integrity who does what he says," Marcus Philmon said.
He was booed and heckled off the podium.
"It's going to be rough in these streets until you give justice to our people," said the Rev. Milton Williams, the final speaker in a 3-hour string. "Our city's in an uproar, and you did not respond."
Mayor says investigation into Scott's death lacked transparency
WSOC-TV asked the mayor if she still supports the police chief.
"First of all, the city manager is the person who hires and fires the police chief," Roberts said. "So if that were even to be a consideration, it would ... take a lot of discussion, so I'm not going to make any comments on that question."
Roberts said in Tuesday morning's Charlotte Observer that there was an unacceptable lack of transparency in the investigation into Scott's death.
The mayor also said that "the lack of transparency and communication about the timing of the investigation and the release of video was not acceptable."
She wrote that she has asked the Department of Justice to monitor the investigation into Scott's death, and to review the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's use-of-force procedures.
Roberts said in the newspaper that she is now pushing to reverse the new state law that goes into effect Saturday that would require a court order to release any police video.
She is also planning a series of town hall meetings to figure out what the city can do to become more accountable and transparent.
WSOC-TV contacted Putney to ask for comment on Roberts' concerns and the protesters who are calling for his resignation, and is waiting to hear back.
NC NAACP demands Department of Justice investigation
A crowd that gathered at a church Monday night was passionate, diverse and peaceful, a mood that carried onto the streets of Charlotte after the meeting.
Rev. Dr. William Barber, of the North Carolina NAACP, thanked people who have been marching in peaceful protest and told them to continue.
He presented a list of demands that included a call for police to release of all tapes related to Scott's death and an independent investigation by the Justice Department.
He also called for policy changes on the use of police video and lethal force.
Barber called for criminal justice reform and for legislation that would take steps to stop racial profiling.
"We are not anti-police. We are anti-police brutality. When you see folks marching in the street -- Black Lives Matter -- they are black, they are white, they are young, they are old, they are gay, they are straight, they are people of faith, people of no faith. Governor, there is a state of emergency. There's a state of emergency of racism. There's a state of emergency in poverty. There's a state of emergency in equality," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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