LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Protesters converged on a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood Friday to confront Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer.
About 100 protesters — some wearing "Black Lives Matter" shirts — started chanting and yelling at Fischer as he arrived to speak at the opening of a low-income apartment complex called The Montgomery at the intersection of 25th and Montgomery streets.
When Fischer tried to leave, protesters surrounded his car and video shows them hit his vehicle with signs. Louisville Metro Police arrived a short time later and got the crowd to step away from the mayor's car so he could drive away.
The event started with several speakers, but when Fischer began his remarks about the apartments and available rent assistance, a group of people streamed in to the area behind the podium. A large banner said "Fire! Fire! Gentrifier!" Other signs had slogans referring to Black Lives Matter, Breonna Taylor and demands for Fischer to resign.
"The work that I do is not gentrification in the bad sense of disbursement," said Gregg Rochman, director of construction at Urban Acupuncture, one of the project developers.
The complex includes two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from $725 to $830 a month. The public-private partnership project cost $3 million to build, funded in part by the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
"It is to improve the built environment and fill in broken teeth so that lovely beautiful people can live there and thrive,"Â Rochman.
Demonstrators are responding to new accusations from attorneys for Taylor family, saying the police raid that killed the former EMT was connected to the city's desire to tear down her ex-boyfriends home for a redevelopment project in Louisville's Russell neighborhood.
IMAGES | Protesters surround Mayor Greg Fischer's car after confronting him at an event
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts converged on a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood Friday to confront Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. When he went to leave, they surrounded his car and pounded on the hood. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Mayor Greg Fischer tried to leave an event, after protesters confronted him about the gentrification of the Portland neighborhood. But protesters surrounded his car. July 10, 2020Â
Protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts converged on a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood Friday to confront Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. When he went to leave, they surrounded his car and pounded on the hood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Police were called to clear the crowd, so Mayor Greg Fischer would leave a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood, after protesters wearing Black Lives Matter shirts confronted him at the event. July 10, 2020Â
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer was confronted by protesters at a ribbon-cutting event in the Portland neighborhood. July 10, 2020Â
Fischer strongly denies those claims, calling them outrageous.Â
"Breonna Taylor's death is directly related to the gentrification that's going on in this city," one protester said.
The protesters chanted and shouted as Fischer sat back down under a nearby tent to listen. He tried to reason with the crowd before walking way.
As the mayor started to walk toward his car, a large group of chanting protesters followed him. He got into his car, which was quickly surrounded by shouting protesters. A half dozen protesters knelt in front of Fischer's vehicle. Others leaned a bike against the front bumper.
When LMPD officers arrived, protesters moved away from the mayor's car, and it was able to drive away.
In an interview later Friday evening with WDRB News, Fischer said the protesters were "disruptive," but he said they were "there to make a point."
Protesters vowed to show up at more events to be heard. No one was arrested Friday.
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