The day after all 13 members of the Boston City Council were re-elected, they turned their attention to a resolution to protect legislation supporting affirmative action in state government, which Gov. Mitt Romney has recently spoken against.

In June, Romney abolished seven resolutions, which had been passed over the last 30 years establishing an affirmative action policy for the commonwealth. Romney’s order also created an advisory council to oversee issues relating to diversity. However, the advisory council is not mandated to include minorities among its members. Romney recalled his order in September, but he is still attempting to change affirmative action laws, according to a Boston Herald report.

Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo, along with Councilors Chuck Turner (Roxbury, Fenway), Charles Yancey (Mattapan, Dorchester) and Michael Ross (Fenway, Back Bay), proposed the resolution, which condemns Romney’s actions as discriminatory to blacks, women, gays and lesbians, persons with disabilities and Vietnam-era veterans.

‘The issue is clearly one of justice,’ said Turner, who spearheaded the resolution. ‘In a democracy, the majority will not necessarily take serious the needs of the minority.’

Turner said Romney went against past gubernatorial initiatives by removing the affirmative action laws. He added that Romney’s decision was made in ignorance and without public debate.

‘Governors have a right to issue executive orders,’ he said. ‘But the challenge is to build on the legacy of the past. Governor Romney didn’t do that.’

Ross, a Graduate School of Management alumnus, gave a fiery speech in support of the resolution, saying Romney issued his order in June the wrong way.

‘If you’re opposed to affirmative action, that is your right,’ Ross said. ‘But if you are a leader of our state … you have an obligation. You don’t create an order in the coat of darkness, you do it in front of the people.’

Ross compared Massachusetts’ affirmative action situation to similar situations in California and Texas. He said Massachusetts universities will receive fewer applications from black and Hispanic students if affirmative action laws are changed, mirroring what he said has happened at the University of Texas and the University of California.

Ross asked if state universities were improving, and alluded to a .02 average increase in grade point average at the law schools of the University of Texas and the University of California since affirmative action laws in those states were abolished.

‘You know what it said to them,’ Ross said. ‘It said, we got rid of all those kids to get our GPA from 3.72 to 3.74.’

A few dozen constituents at the meeting applauded Ross’s speech, but Councilor James Kelly (Chinatown, South End) turned and gawked at them. Kelly said he opposed Turner’s resolution, calling it ‘racist’ because it gives preferential treatment to certain groups.

Kelly said governors do not normally take public input before issuing executive orders.

‘I’ve never seen in Governor Romney’s public statements that he is trying to abolish ethnic diversity,’ he added.

Kelly said minorities benefit from resolutions such as Turner’s, and white males are the true victims who must struggle with unemployment.

‘They discriminate against the white males,’ Kelly said. ‘Because they’re white, nobody gives a damn.’

Constituents sighed and mumbled in response to his statement, prompting Kelly to berate the audience during a recess and ask Council President Michael Flaherty to read the rules of the council chamber, which include a provision requiring audience silence throughout meetings.

During the recess, one constituent in the audience, Steel Workers Local 8751 President Steve Gillis, backed Turner’s resolution and called Kelly discriminatory.

‘Thirty years ago, Kelly was leading a semi-military, racist group to uphold segregation,’ Gillis said. ‘They attacked us for years. It was the old-fashioned kind of racism.’

Gillis said Turner’s resolution is an acknowledgment that Boston’s heavily discriminatory reputation is trying to change.

‘It’s time for radicals like Romney and Kelly to stop trying to turn back the clock,’ Gillis said.