Community members talk about the fall of South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Community members joined activists and city leaders to voice their frustrations about ongoing problems in the city and rally against Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

This comes after protesters disrupted African-American city leaders announcing their support for Buttigieg earlier this month.

They talked about what they called Pete’s inability to help South Bend, racial disparity in city government and also urged city leaders to release the police tapes to show ongoing racism in the South Bend Police Department.

“He dressed up south bend but when we cut it open there’s disease, there’s sickness, there’s loss, there’s anger,” Bernice Clark, one speaker said.

“We supposed to expect these people to protect us when they don’t know us, they don’t know us at all,” Nasir Mitchell, a youth speaker said.

“We have a lot of funding going to places that i guarantee you the homeless are not getting any benefit out of,” Pastor Larry, another speaker said.

“We have to make sure that we have diversity in all of our leadership, male female, black, white, Hispanic, and everybody else,”  City Councilman Oliver Davis, said.

After African- American city leaders held a press conference to voice their support for Buttigieg, community members wanted to hold their own in protest.

City councilman Oliver Davis and former NAACP President Trina Robinson among those to protest today.

“t’s important for those to understand that there are a percentage that are not satisfied with the things that have occurred in South Bend,” Robinson said.

“We can’t be quiet any longer because there are people in the graves, their blood cries out to us not to be quiet,” Davis said.

Also among the speakers was Tyree Bonds, the brother or Eric Logan who was shot and killed by a South Bend police officer earlier this year. He’s been at the forefront - talking about issues in south bend.

“Only one way we can change our community. We got to go to that corner and take that corner over,” Bonds said.

Many in the crowd saying Mayor-elect James Mueller should hire a diverse staff, encourage the release of the police tapes, and help better the community through policies that work.

“They’re painting this umbrella over us as if we don’t have problems underneath. They’re putting us in a closet and they aren’t saying nothing,” Mitchell said.

“Our city is really at its worst that I’ve ever seen it,” Robinson said. “I think it’s very important that we all come together, come to the table and realize we might not meet everyone’s demands but at least we can meet some so everyone feels they’ve had an input.”

There was hope in the future - many saying Mueller could make South Bend a better place to live for all.