Metro Nashville City Council voted to increase its spending on Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) by $10.5 million, per the finalized budget. Mayor John Cooper approved the budget on Wednesday. Some of this funding will go toward the new southeast precinct, totaling a 5 percent increase. Overall, the budget sits at around $2.6 billion.
Following passage of the budget during Tuesday’s meeting, the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition shouted down the council members during its 45 minute recess. As a result, the council was unable to continue its business on time.
Nashville People’s Budget Coalition desires complete defunding of the police and investing in community alternatives like violence prevention and interruption, as well as areas like affordable housing, education, social services, and the arts.
“Just to let you all know they passed an appalling budget, we shut down City Council,” wrote the coalition. “Here is the thread of footage just in case the media chooses to repress the People’s will further.”
Just to let you all know they passed an appalling budget, we shut down City Council.
Here is the thread of the footage just in case the media chooses to repress the People’s will further. pic.twitter.com/QljTqYJ5FU
— Nashville People’s Budget Coalition (@nashpplsbudget) June 16, 2021
Those organizations and activist groups in the coalition are: Black Lives Matter (BLM) Nashville; Free Hearts; Gideon’s Army; Middle Tennessee Democratic Socialists of America; Music City Riders United (MCRU); No Exceptions Prison Collective; People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing, and Equity (PATHE); Safer Schools Nashville; Southerners on New Ground Nashville (SONG Nashville); Workers’ Dignity/Dignidad Obrera. Some of their demands include complete cuts to school resource officers, as well as around 50 percent reductions to funding for MNPD, Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, and the district attorney.
Community Oversight Board (COB) First Vice Chair and Gideon’s Army COO, Jamel Campbell-Gooch, expressed his disapproval of the MNPD budget increase.
“This wild thing just happened in City Council; City Council members are talking about Juneteenth, but just voted to increase spending on Police, an institution founded to catch slaves,” wrote Campbell-Gooch. “Make it make sense.”
This wild thing just happened in City Council;
City Council members are talking about Juneteenth, but just voted to increase spending on Police, an institution founded to catch slaves. 🤔🧐
Make it make sense.
— Jamel Campbell-Gooch (@nashvillered) June 16, 2021
Campbell-Gooch also retweeted the video of the coalition shouting down city council, and is seen in a video of the coalition protesting in front of city hall. Between each demand Campbell-Gooch shouted, the crowd of protesters responded with, “Not police!” He demanded money for schools, violence interruption, guaranteed basic income, and hospitals.
It started with clear demands. pic.twitter.com/blol9eXaCd
— Nashville People’s Budget Coalition (@nashpplsbudget) June 16, 2021
The coalition’s response to the budget hasn’t affected Cooper, apparently. The mayor issued only positive remarks on the budget.
“After a year of crisis, Nashville is finally entering an era of investment. And with this budget, we’re laying the foundation to build a city that truly works for everyone with historic investments in our schools, transportation, community safety, and affordable housing,” said Cooper. “Today, there’s no city in America better positioned for the years ahead than Nashville.”
Cooper also hosted a news conference outlining rationale behind parts of the budget. Concerning the increased investment in MNPD, the mayor explained that they were investing in violence prevention with mental health respondents, 8 sergeants to mange the body-worn camera program in every precinct, and 40 new Antioch police officers.
“This will help us meet a new standard of policing in one of the most diverse and fastest-growing communities in Nashville, long overdue – as Councilwoman Bircher says, 20 years past due – but we’re getting it done right now,” said Cooper.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Protesters” by Nashville People’s Budget Coalition.
Come July 1st these fools are going to have a day of reckoning. The police they love to hate are just the backup for our laws enforced by responsible pistol packin citizens.
Please go right ahead and get rid of all the police. I can guarantee these simple minded fools will not enjoy our new form of law which will be finally enforced via the constitution.
The Community Oversight Board and the other marxist groups mentioned above throw temper tantrums when the city wants to spend money to make the lives of everyone safer. Shows you what they value.
As long as you have Dems running the show this is what you get. Let some conservatives behave that way and see what happens.
Nashville Peoples Budget Coalition sounds like just another well funded lefty organization formed quickly with no organic grassroots movement. Nothing about the democrat/communist party is authentic.
I’m sure Metro Council would tolerate this kind of disruption from the Proud Boys
The City did the responsible thing, Law and Order is not Racist! The People who are or support the criminal Element, the Communist groups mentioned in the article, regardless of how they label their politics, just demonstrated their desire for Lawlessness and their mob rule of the streets. How did these people infiltrate into Tennessee? People of principle must refuse to d business with them, to cross the street when they approach! These same groupse demand equal access and Rights but.. they refuse them to the Honorable Citizens/Patriots to Patriots who support our State and Republic. They have rights m and we reserve the right to not associate with or do business with them. Not to shun them is to do business with the devil. Business Owners need to answer the question to themselves, is their small amount of business worth more than our State and our Free Republic which made their success possible! These groups are dedicated to our destruction, pure and simple.
The picture of the Ghettopotamus pointing at someone as she yells is typical of the people that are against increasing the police budget. Criminals want no rules to commit crimes with no retribution, gutter trash!
Those women just have been shown the exit door. Yelling, screaming and making no sense. Yes, this is why we need more police officers. These angry women were out of control and think the world revolves around them. It doesn’t!
It’s funny the other group of Commie’s TV ad saying reigning in Chicken Coop’s tax grab will hamstring police, teacher and firefighters. And this group of Commie’s wants to defund MNPD, etc.
Do any of these losers have a real job, or are they just grifting off donations?
Whatever! yawn
My gosh, I am so glad I moved out of the county last fall. I sure many readers remember former Vice-Mayor David Scobey. Always fair but firm. Everyone had their chance at speaking during council meetings, but at the proper time. No disruptions were allowed. Especially from the gallery. He what have cleared that bunch out in two minutes. Welcome to the “new” Nashville politics. Pitiful and sad.
i see the latest crap from the left is the lie that the police were created to catch slaves.
what a load.
Criminals want free shit and do not want police and DA’s available to catch and prosecute them when they take it.