With his infuriated supporters surrounding him on all sides on the steps leading up to City Hall, Chuck Turner hollered a fiery response to the Boston City Council that had just expelled him from its membership.
“I see this as a continuation of our struggle,” Turner shouted, his bald head just barely visible through the crowd of about 50.
“I’m ready to go back and provide leadership from my community,” he continued. “Let’s go to work.”
Those gathered around him cheered, some shouting “We love you, Chuck,” the last emotional outbursts on a day full of them.
Earlier, in a testy, tearful deliberation that lasted well over an hour, the council voted 11-1 to oust Turner from his post of 11 years for his felony conviction on one charge of bribery, the first time in the body’s 100-year history that a member has been removed. Turner’s expulsion takes affect Thursday.
Preceding the vote, Turner let loose a long-winded speech accusing the FBI and former U.S. attorney Michael Sullivan of targeting him and Massachusetts State Senator Diane Wilkerson in a corruption sting because of their race.
He compared the struggles of Boston’s black community to the fight for equality waged by former Mayor James Curley and the Irish.
“When I look at what Senator Wilkerson and I are going through. . .Mayor Curley would be ashamed of Michael Sullivan as an Irishman for doing this to black people,” Turner yelled.
He pleaded with the council to recognize what he saw as a deliberate attempt to remove him from power.
“In reality, the conviction that is being used as the reason for my removal, the reason that has moved you all into a position to judge my moral character, was a setup,” Turner calmly stated. “The power to go after government officials is a very dangerous power. It is a power that creates Fascist states.”
Emotional testimonies from councilors Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley received heated backlash from Turner’s supporters, who aimed terse responses at the pair.
“We all have those moments we wish we could take back,” Arroyo began, struggling to contain his tears for Turner, a man he said he considered a friend and mentor.
“[From Turner] I learned that real change comes from organizing, not politics. . .To me he is my friend and a man I’ve grown to love.”
But, Arroyo added, he would “not run from my responsibility to vote.”
“I understand and appreciate from many people in this chamber today there is nothing I can say to assuage your anger or to lessen your disappointment,” Pressley said to the audience.
“I’m heartsick about what has come to pass,” she said, to which many audience members made loud sounds of derision.
Councilor Charles Yancey of Mattapan was the only councilor to vote against removing Turner, and sparred with Council President Michael Ross and a city lawyer in a heated exchange over what he saw as a violation of the rules in the Turner vote.
Yancey claimed the council’s ruling that Turner could not cast a vote of his own because of conflict of interest rules was illegal and hypocritical.
“This body votes for its own raises. What’s more conflicted than that?” Yancey retorted.
But neither Ross nor the council would be swayed. Calling up the final vote, each councilor relayed his or her vote in the affirmative to expel Turner. With each “aye,” audience members shouted “Shame on you!” and other heated words.
The moment Turner’s dismissal was decided, several people in the audience began loudly chanting, “Unjust! Unjust!”
Turner appealed for calm, however.
“This is not the place to express our feelings. . .Let’s go downstairs so we can talk about building our power base.”
Relinquished of his position and amid his supporters, Turner vowed to make run for next fall’s municipal elections.
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