An angry, frustrated public walked, rode wheelchairs and packed the City Council building on Lindsey Street on Tuesday night to voice their annoyance on housing issues and moving the Bessie Smith Strut.
And they showed visual anger at Mayor Ron Littlefield, who has played a role in at least half the issues.
“The Strut and College Hill are not his to take,” said Gloria Griffith, a Westside community leader. “They belong to us.”
Protesters took to the streets Tuesday to march to the council building in support of low-income housing. At the same time, another group of community members came to the City Council, which meets regularly Tuesday nights, to express their disappointment in Littlefield deciding last week to move the 30-year-old Bessie Smith Strut from M.L. King Boulevard to the Riverbend site.
Frank DePinto, a Chattanooga resident, called the mayor a “fascist” and called on the council to hold hearings and hold a vote of “no confidence” on the seven-year mayor.