Last night's Fort Worth City Council meeting briefly turned chaotic as protesters interrupted Mayor Mike Moncrief, preventing him from continuing with the meeting.
After the protesters, all with the Dallas-based group Queer LiberAction, were ousted from City Hall, some attendees were still challenging the mayor.
A few people called on Moncrief to apologize for different aspects of the Rainbow Lounge raid. A woman asked him if he was going to apologize for a man being hospitalized.
“Listen, if you want an apology from your mayor, I am sorry for what happened in Fort Worth, " Moncrief said, drawing some applause. "I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry.”
The question that's emerged today: What exactly did the mayor apologize for? The raid itself? Chad Gibson's injuries? The overall situation?
Many assumed the mayor was apologizing for the raid but, according to city spokesman Bill Begley, that's not true.
"The mayor and council are always sorry if anyone is hurt ever in our city," Begley said Wednesday. "The mayor has asked for a thorough investigation of what happened in the Rainbow Lounge to the point that he’s asked for the U.S. attorney to get involved ...They want to make sure that all voices are heard ... but the apology is that anyone is ever hurt in any incident.”
Watch the clip for yourself here.
-Aman Batheja and Deanna Boyd
People, the mayor apologized clearly for someone getting hurt. HE did not apologize or take blame for anything, nor should he. He is a compassionate man, and deserves better than a bunch of fools from out of town stirring up CRAP. We deserve better, our city deserves better, our mayor certainly deserves better; but this small and very vocal group is trying to make everything out to be 'anti-gay'. Get over it! Mayor, MOST of us believe you will indeed continue to serve all of us well, even when a small segment of the population, fueled by outsiders, seems to want a fight no matter who they end up fighting with.
Posted by: Go Home Protesters! | July 15, 2009 at 05:00 PM
Wow.
What a convaluted mess. Not once have I heard a single person even state why police and TABC were out doing their job.
Fort Worth, in 2007, had the deadliest roads in the entire U.S., and nearly half of these deaths were alcohol related.
TX leads the nation too often in alcohol related fatalities,and is one of only seven states that does not allow sobriety check points.
Not a soul have I heard even talk about this.
Why?
Because our city leaders jumped and called in the Feds, before the investigation had barely even begun, and long before the alleged victim publically stated he was drunk-not having a few or drinking responsibly, drunk.
In other words, being that heavily impaired, there's no way Chad could possibly know whether he grabbed someones genitals or not. But, let's call the Feds, as we can't handle this; it might cost us votes.
Interesting enough, if the issue really is police brutality, why then, were the Feds not brought in when Michael Jacobs was tased to death in April? Michael was unarmed, 155 pounds, and there were at least 2 officers on the scene who would have I'd of thought, been able to bring him down or under control.
I believe what citizens (and a whole lot who aren't) are seeing really, is Fort Worth is weak. This concerns me a lot because of what I just touched on (illegals) in regard to our proximity to Laredo/I-35 and the border.
I am speaking of course, of our sovereignty. It's hard for me to believe that leaders who jumped the way they did in terms of calling in the Feds long before the investigation was anywhere near concluded...
I just don't believe you gentlemen downtown have things under control or are really prepaired to really manage a true crisis like you all would like for us to think. You jumped, now you are having to basically say "how high," and the lack of backbone concerns me. So, was it an apology?
Yes. But, you made that bed when you placed the call to outsiders instead of having faith in your officers, and your own abilities to get to the truth, without making a Federal case out of it yourselves.
Posted by: Jean | July 15, 2009 at 06:47 PM
Moncreep is a politician of the worst kind. Why Fort Worth voters continue to reelect him is beyond explaining. If this incident had occured at a "straight" bar it would have received zero coverage.
Posted by: gary stallons | July 15, 2009 at 07:21 PM
The Mayor is a good guy.
Posted by: Mr. and Mrs. Mike Guy | July 15, 2009 at 08:35 PM
Why should Moncrief apologize for a lawful action? If there was an abuse of power then it was done by TABC, not under his jurisdiction. I have lost all confidence in this person and most of it happened before this incident.
Posted by: MAark | July 16, 2009 at 08:21 AM
If Moncrief has to apologize, so does the guy from Dallas who stood outside the chamber door shouting, "Hear Us Now." That clown needs to learn how meetings are properly conducted.
Posted by: Harold | July 16, 2009 at 09:57 AM