Tucson Back the Blue calls for Mayor Romero's resignation

Tucson Back the Blue calls for Mayor Romero's resignation

BELIEVE IN THEIR IDEOLOGIES ASSHE PUTS IT." THE PRESIDENT OFTUCSON BACK THE BLUE -- ISRESPONDING AFTER TWEETS FROMMAYOR REGINA ROMERO CLAIM --HEHAS TIES TO WHITE SUPREMACISTIDEOLOGY.

WHAT THE GROUP-- ISCALLING FOR NOW.GOOD EVENING, I'M TAJA DAVIS.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.A REQUEST TO PAINT A BLUE LINEOUTSIDE OF TUCSON POLICEHEADQUARTERS -- APPROVED --THEN UN-APPROVED THIS WEEK.THE GROUP BEHIND IT -- HELD ARALLY THIS MORNING -- WITH NEWDEMANDS.

BEFORE WE BRING YOUTHAT -- LET'S BACK IT UP FORSOME CONTEXT.

MAYOR REGINAROMERO CLAIMS -- THE THAT MANWHO SUBMITTED THE REQUEST --HAS TIES TO WHITE SUPREMACISTIDEOLOGY.

CITING -- POSTS HESHARED ON FACEBOOK -- FROMPRO-CONFEDERACY PAGES.

ROMEROSAYS -- CITY MANAGER MICHAELORTEGA APPROVED THAT REQUEST-- WITHOUT DEEPLY LOOKING INTOTHE MAN'S HISTORY -- ADDINGTHAT A CITY COUNCIL MEMBERHELPED -- PUSH THE REQUESTFORWARD.

IT ALL STARTED WITH ATWEET FROM MAYOR ROMEROTHURSDAY EVENING.

A MAN NAMEDTIMOTHY CESOLINI -- IDENTIFIESHIMSELF AS THE PERSON ROMEROIS REFERRING TO IN THE POST.IN A FACEBOOK POST -- ON THE"TUCSON BACK THE BLUE LINE"FACEBOOK PAGE -- CESOLINI --WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE GROUPSAYS -- HE'S NOT A WHITESUPREMACIST.

HE CALLS MAYORROMERO'S POST "SLANDER" -- ANDSAYS SHE ATTACKED THE GROUP --"TUCSON BACK THE BLUE LINE."ROMERO HAS THIS TO SAY.

THISIS IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM MEAS THE MAYOR TAKING A STANDAGAINST THE POLICE AS A MATTEROF FACT I DON'T THINK POLICEOFFICERS WOULD WANT A PERSONWITH THIS TYPE OF BACKGROUNDTO REPRESENT THEM.

ROMERONEVER NAMED THE CITY COUNCILMEMBER SHE SAID PUSHED THEREQUEST THROUGH -- BUT WARD4'S NIKKI LEE -- RESPONDED TOTHE MAYOR THURSDAY... SHE SAYS-- SHE WAS JUST DOING HER JOBBY FORWARDING A CONSTITUENTREQUEST TO THE CITY MANAGER.KGUN NINE REACHED OUT TO THECITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND CITYATTORNEY MIKE RANKIN --NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAVEGOTTEN BACK TO US.SO THE APPROVAL TO PAINT THELINE -- WAS REVOKED.

BUT THEGROUP -- DID STILL HOLD ARALLY TODAY -- IN FRONT OF THETUCSON POLICE DEPARTMENT.

NINEON YOUR SIDE'S CIARA ENCINASSPOKE TO THE ORGANIZERS AND TOCESOLINI -- THE MAN ACCUSED OFHAVING TIES TO WHITESUPREMACIST IDEOLOGY.(CHANTS FROM TUCSON BACK THEBLUE) IN PLACE OF PAINTING ATHIN BLUE LINE ON THE TUCSONPOLICE DEPARTMENT, TUCSON BACKTHE BLUE RALLIED IN FRONT OFTHE MIDTOWN SUBSTATION.

"IT'SABOUT THE COMMUNITY COMINGTOGETHER, IT'S RAISING THE OFHAVING TIES TO WHITESUPREMACIST IDEOLOGY.ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COMINGTOGETHER, IT'S RAISING THEMORALE IN THE POLICEDEPARTMENT AND SHOWING THEM WESUPPORT THEM, BECAUSE SOME OFTHEM FEEL THAT THEIR CHIEFDOESN'T, OR THE ADMINISTRATIONOR THE CITY COUNCIL, THEMORALE IN THE TUCSON POLICEDEPARTMENT." (CHANTS FROMCOUNTER PROTESTERS) THEIRRALLY WAS MET WITH COUNTER-PROTESTERS.

MATT KEARNEY, MASSLIBERATION ARIZONA TUCSONCHAPTER: "WE'RE JUST TIRED OFSOCIETY NORMALIZING POLICEBRUTALITY.

FOR THE LAST 10YEARS OVER 100 PEOPLE WEREMURDERED BY POLICE.

THERE'S NOJUSTICE, IT JUST KEEPS GOINGON." BUT BEHIND IT ALL - THENEW NON- PROFIT TUCSON BACKTHE BLUE L-L- C WHO IS NOWCALLING FOR MAYOR REGINAROMERO'S RESIGNATION.""PUTTING PEOPLE ON BLAST ANDMAKING THEM LIVE IN FEAR, WITHNO SOLID EVIDENCE ISPREMATURE.

AS FOR MYSELF.

IWANT TO ASK THE CITY COUNCILTO ASK FOR THE RESIGNATION ANDTHE CITY MANAGER APPOINT NIKKILEE AS MAYOR UNTIL AN ELECTIONCAN BE HELD," TIM CESSALINI ISACCUSED OF HAVING WHITESUPREMACIST IDEOLOGY BY MAYORROMERO.

ROMERO: "I'M NOT GOINGTO STAND BY WHERE THERE ISMALICIOUS INTENTION AND APERSON THAT HAS DISPLAYEDWHITE SUPREMACISTS, RACISTPOINTS IN HIS SOCIAL MEDIA, "IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THEUNION REPRESENTED THE NORTHAND THE CONFEDERACYREPRESENTED THE SOUTH.

HECOMPLETELY DENIES HAVING WHITESUPREMACIST IDEOLOGY TO KGUN9.

"I SHARED A SIMPLE MEME, ORWHATEVER THOSE ARE CALLEDMEME, AND THAT WAS IT.

THATWAS WHERE IT WENT.

IF I LIKEDA PAGE, I LIKED A PAGE .THATWAS IT." IN FACT, WHEN ASKEDIF HE KNEW WHAT THECONFEDERATE FLAG SYMBOLIZEDAND IF HE THOUGHT THATSUPPORTED ROMERO'S CLAIM HESAYS NO.

"FROM WHAT I WASTAUGHT WHEN I WAS A KID INSCHOOL THE CONFEDERATE FLAGCOMES FROM THE CIVIL WAR.THAT'S WHERE I LEAVE THATCIVIL WAR, IF ANY OF THE OTHERPEOPLE TAKE IT, HOW THEY WANTTO TAKE IT THAT'S ON THEM.AT'S NOT ON ME.

MYEOTS.

IT'S THEWAR, IT REPRESENTS THE SOUTHAND THE UNION ARMY." HE ADDSALTHOUGH HE CAN'T SAY WHAT THECIVIL WAR WAS ALL ABOUT, HEKNOWS IT INVOLVED MORE ISSUESTHAN JUST SLAVERY.

HE ALSOADMITS TO HIDING THE POSTS."AFTER SHE MADE ME BECOME APUBLIC FIGURE NOW.

YES, IDIDN'T WANT MY CONTENT ON MYPAGE, LIKE ANY OTHER OFFICIALDOES." NONETHELESS HE SAYSONCE ROMERO CALLED HIM OUT -HE HAS RECEIVED THREATS.

"LASTNIGHT WE WERE THREATENED.

IHAD TO CALL TPD.

AND FROM WHATI UNDERSTAND FROM WHEN THEOFFICER RESPONDED, IT LOOKSLIKE IT WAS A WHITE SUPREMACYGROUP THAT THREATENED ME.

ANDTHAT'S MORE WHAT I WAS AFRAIDOF THAN FROM ANY OTHER BLM ORTHAT TYPE OF.

I WAS MORECONCERNED THAT SHE PORTRAYEDME OF SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT.AND THEY WERE GONNA SAYSOMETHING ABOUT IT." TAG: 9 ONYOUR SIDE REACHED OUT TO MAYORROMERO'S OFFICE FOR A COMMENTON THEIR CALL FOR HERRESIGNATION.

WE HAVEN'T HEARDBACK YET.

CIARA ENCINAS, KGUN9 ON YOUR SIDE.LOOKING AT WEATHER RIGHT NOW--