By John Moreno
February 21, 2017
Stockton, CA – After the last city council meeting when police were called in to escort mayor Tubbs to his vehicle as a result of members of the community demanding release of video evidence and answers for their loved ones killed by Stockton police officers, family members and activists will be back to city hall.
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They will again ask for answers, but this time they will also be asking for an apology. The day after last council meeting mayor Tubbs told the media that he did not call the police to escort him, but that they demanded it as “protocol”. This answer surprised many since he’s the mayor and previous mayors had never had the police escort them besides larger protests occurring. In addition to statements downplaying the effects of the meeting…
… he also retweeted a tweet from his friend, who had been previously arrested for suspected rape at UOP, referring to activists and family members as “haters” while capturing a screen shot of Tubbs looking disinterested during a news interview on the meeting, as they perceived it as they were the only ones he reacted to in calling the police. 
Black Lives Matter, Stockton representative Dionne Smith, who lost her 16 year old son to Stockton police and a sheriff deputy in 2010, 
says, “We expect an apology. To refer to us as ‘haters’ only goes to show that he doesn’t support the same community who supported him when he was running for office. If he’s really about uniting the community he should know better to dismiss us and make it about him when we came to him for help and he turned his back on us.”
Smith says Black Lives Matter will return again with even greater numbers to the next council meeting tonight. “Even the police told us they want to work with us..they want to build unity, but with Tubbs acting the way he does it’s no telling where this city’s gonna be six months from now. Because we’re not backing down from demanding justice and answers”, said Smith. 
