Myth #6: Duggan is Down With the Civil Rights Struggle

[Return to Duggan Myths]

Not only has Duggan never been a part of the civil rights struggle in his whole life, he is actively suing the people who are. Yes, you read that right—the Duggan administration is using the city's law department to sue the group Detroit Will Breathe, who have been marching for justice every single day since George Floyd was killed.

Duggan, and Police Chief James Craig

"Their suit claims Detroit’s demonstrators are part of a 'civil conspiracy' to 'disturb the peace, engage in disorderly conduct, incite riots, destroy public property,' and resist police orders, among other 'illegal acts.' 

Duggan's lawsuit also asks the court to "issue judgments declaring that the protesters engaged in this conspiracy 'defamed' the mayor and police, and to award the city damages." LMFAO...I don't know whose ego is more fragile, Duggan's or Trump's. This is so Trumpian I can't even. "Wahhh, you tarnished my public image, I'm going to sue you!" lol. Then, a judge dismissed the case against the protestors without prejudice, "based on the prosecution’s failure to provide discovery. City prosecutors could reinstate the cases if they provide certain evidence requested by the defense"...
So basically this was 100% a retaliatory lawsuit designed solely to slag individuals without extensive means to mount a legal defense, on behalf of the egos of Mayor Duggan and Chief Craig. These are your tax dollars at work, Detroit! Once again, a very Trumpian move from Mike Duggan—suing simply to make a political statement, and then losing due to lack of merit.

See my other posts for more on Duggan's disgraceful record on civil rights:
Meanwhile, under Duggan and his Police Chief James Craig, "murders in the city are up 20% in 2020, and nonfatal shootings are up 56%":
Detroit also led the nation in violent crime in 2019:
So what exactly DOES the Detroit Police Dept. do well these days? They can't seem to effectively fight crime OR respect citizens' rights. What good are they?

Duggan and Chief Craig, prior to their emotional breakup

As further evidence of Duggan's innate bias against black people, consider the fact that when he was in Livonia, he supported the dismantling of SEMTA (the Southeast Michigan Transit Authority) along with his political mentor Ed McNamara. As a former Livonian myself, I know that Livonians always hated the fact that black people could ride a bus from inner city Detroit to Wonderland Mall, and go shopping. Livonians always rallied against these busses because "it brings crime"...wink, wink. McNamara left office as Mayor of Livonia and became the Wayne County Executive, as well as the chairman of SEMTA, where he then led the shift to the SMART bus system (Suburban Mobility Authority Regional Transportation), which reduced service between Detroit and the suburbs, and had no leaders from Detroit on its board of control (Detroit Free Press, January 18, 1989 p. 3A). Nothing says "I don't like black people" quite like bussing boondoggles, right L. Brooks Patterson? McNamara started Duggan's career in Wayne County government around the same time the SEMTA takeover was going down, and interestingly Duggan also briefly filled the role of Interim General Manager of SMART while he was serving as Deputy Wayne County Executive under McNamara.

To this day the city of Livonia does not allow Detroit busses to enter its border, so that Detroiters can ride a bus to get their jobs in that city. Yet "Livonia Mike" is allowed to be the mayor of Detroit, when he doesn't even live there? Sounds kind of apartheid to me.

Native Detroiter Elena Herrada pointed out that Duggan "has created a greater degree of inequality in Detroit than any other mayor in my lifetime." She said that by using tax captures to take the schools' and library's funding and give it to the Downtown Development Authority, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, and Little Caesars Arena in perpetuity, it "has created an apartheid school district," and has "codified inequality by race and class. Note that the white people moving to Detroit do not seem to be concerned about where their children will be going to school. They do not seem worried about the library situation. They don't seem concerned about the auto insurance. This gives rise to greater resentment that Detroit taxpayers are paying for the luxuries of those who need the least."

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