Tensions flare at Harvey City Council meeting as mayor clears room: 'They're taking our homes'

‘They're taking our homes': Tensions flare at Harvey City Council meeting as mayor clears room

Harvey residents are once again frustrated with Mayor Chris Clark's practices, calling them "illegal, unfair and unjust." At a city council meeting Monday night, tensions became heated, and the room was cleared.

HARVEY, Ill. - An already tense political standoff in south suburban Harvey escalated Monday night, as Mayor Christopher Clark cleared a packed council meeting room after just 20 minutes, citing disruptions from residents and supporters of Ald. Colby Chapman.

The backstory:

Chapman, who represents Harvey’s 2nd Ward, has become a focal point in the city’s ongoing disputes over transparency, leadership, and community displacement. Monday’s meeting drew a large crowd of her supporters, exactly two weeks after she was arrested during an April 28 council meeting.

Video from that earlier meeting showed her being physically removed by Harvey police—her second arrest during a city council session. She says she was trying to raise concerns about a resident’s property being sold and was ignored by the mayor. As she continued to speak, a motion was made to remove her.

In Monday's meeting, residents voiced complaints about rising water bills, a lack of transparency in city spending, and said they felt their voices were being censored. Prior to the meeting, Mayor Clark had warned he would clear the room if there were disruptions—and he followed through.

The meeting eventually resumed with attendees being let back in. It lasted about 30 minutes before properly ending.

What they're saying:

FOX 32 asked Chapman about her arrest last month; why not just be silent? Why resist? Why not just leave?

"You know what, in that moment, I gathered my things, and that's exactly what I was looking to do, but when three male officers approached me as a female, as I'm trying to gather my things, I think that would startle any person, whether it be man or woman, because there's this abrasive approach to asking me to leave, and I simply was leaving. But the further point is, is all of that insinuated simply because I was being a voice for Ms. Allen?" Chapman said.

Chapman's mother was also at the April meeting and arrested. Both were charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

When Mayor Clark was asked about the incident, here's what he said.

"I don't think that it's a good look for an alderperson to one, you know, hit law enforcement officers. And I think that that’s really one of the stories here that needs to be taken care of, because the simple fact is, that’s what she did," Clark said. "I don't think that she belongs in this position. The bottom line is, she's an activist. She wants to be the man and fight against the man. She wants to be the government and fight against the government."

Chapman addressed the accusation that she hit an officer.

"I did not hit an officer, (or) push an officer on my way out of the council," she said. "Nobody should have to ingest physical behavior simply for inquiry, and unfortunately, I digested that. But the bruise has gone away. The memory never will. And I'm simply pushing forward."

A Harvey resident and Chapman supporter in attendance Monday night for the heated moments told FOX 32, "They don’t want you to speak up with the injustice that’s happening in the Black community. They’re displacing us out of our communities. They’re taking our homes."

What's next:

Chapman and her supporters are continuing to call for a federal investigation into Harvey’s township practices.