Angry over steps being taken due to a financial emergency in Detroit, New Black Panther Party leader Malik Shabazz (not to be confused with Malik Zulu Shabazz, national leader of the group) declared he would burn the city down.
“This is white on black crime,” he said during public comment at the two hour meeting held Monday afternoon.
“This is white supremacy. Before you can take over our city, we will burn it down,” he added.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Shabazz was one of about 100 angry and defiant Detroiters who attended the meeting.
The Detroit Free Press reported:
Detroit’s financial review team this afternoon declared that the city is under a financial emergency and no consent agreement between the city and state has been adopted, a move that forces Gov. Rick Snyder to appoint an emergency manager within the next 10 days under state law.
State officials, however, are hopeful that an agreement can be reached before an emergency manager is named.
Dillon said the Mayor, the City Council and the Governor would have to sign off on the agreement within the next ten days.
But some locals see the move as a “hostile takeover of a predominately black city,” the Free Press added.
Local public sector unions that represent city employees are unhappy with the move as well.
The Free Press noted:
“I negotiated with 30 unions to get that agreement,” said Ed McNeil, special assistant to President Al Garrett, AFSCME Council 25, who co-chaired the coalition of unions’ negotiating team. “It’s a shame. We are fighting for and sacrificing for this city to bring Detroit back together.”
A post at Twitchy.com highlights some of the messages sparked by Shabazz’s threat:
“For Detroit that probably qualifies as Urban Renewal,” wrote one person.
“What? Theres nothing left to burn,” wrote another.
“As an outsider half the city already is #NeedHelp,” commented “NaturalEmerald.”
According to the Free Press, security struggled to maintain order throughout the meeting as attendees chanted, “No takeover!”