Tense moments erupt outside town hall meeting in Ward 8

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — Tensions were high outside a town hall meeting in Ward 8 Monday, as organizers attempted to bring unity during a time of disarray.

“There’s a lot of trauma. This meeting is necessary here. What’s happened to the councilmember, it’s bad news,” said Malik Shabazz, an attorney with the Black Lawyers for Justice.

Shabazz sponsored and moderated the town hall, along with several other organizations including the Black Men’s Movement of Washington D.C.

The event, held at The ARC, came one week after councilmember Trayon White was arrested on federal bribery charges. White is accused of agreeing to accept $156,000 in exchange for influencing city employees over contract negotiations.

The ARC did not allow cameras inside the venue, but Shabazz spoke to reporters outside.

“The ward needs to know where the leadership is to go. Where the future is going to be and there needs to be healing. These are very serious allegations,” he said.

The prohibition of cameras raised questions of transparency for neighbors attending.

Some even questioned the intent of the meeting.

“What is the purpose of this meeting? The residents of Ward 8 didn’t call this. We decide our next steps after due process takes place. They don’t live here,” said Regina Pixley, a longtime Ward 8 resident.

She noted that a woman inside the meeting resided in Cambridge, Md.

Others walked out of the meeting in dismay.

“I was in there and phew, I don’t know what they talking about. The purpose of it doesn’t seem to be evident [to] me. That’s why I walked out. I thought this was going to be a serious meeting,” said Kwasi Seitu, a former ANC commissioner.

Seitu said he hoped people would come together and back a unified candidate for the upcoming November election.

“We’ve been thrown a trap whereas our candidate, the man who is probably going to win, is no longer the viable candidate,” he said.  “We need a unified campaign. A unified write-in campaign.”

Current advisory neighborhood commissioner Paul Trantham disagreed.

“What I want to see is Ward 8 stick together and stick by our councilmember unless he goes to trial and gets convicted. That’s what we want, that is what we want,” he said.

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