Cory Booker Causes Mini Riot at Newark City Council Meeting

Oh, no. Something’s rotten in the state of Newark and our imaginary boyfriend Cory Booker might have something to do with it. During last night’s Newark city council meeting, Booker staged a procedural move that had Newark’s citizens so worked up that the gathering devolved into an actual brawl, with several people being pepper-sprayed and one man getting arrested.

Last night’s meeting was being held to nominate a replacement for a recently vacated city council seat, with Booker and his supporters looking to fill the spot with ally Shanique Davis Speight and Booker’s opponents seeking the nomination of John James. When the councilman supporting James attempted to speak, the acting chair repeatedly refused to recognize him. Eventually, he and three other councilmen walked out of the meeting in anger, leaving the proceedings without a quorum.

When this is the case, it is the Newark city council policy that the mayor should be able to participate in the meetings and cast votes. Booker, tipped off by his chief of staff Varys, Master of Whisperers, anticipated the councilmen’s walkout and was present on site at the meeting for the first time ever. The city council proceeded to nominate — thanks to the mayor’s deciding vote — Shanique Davis Speight to the empty seat.

A group of citizens became agitated by Booker’s admittedly-shady-though-entirely-legal moves during Speight’s swearing in process where they began chanting “Cory’s gotta go” and swarming the dais where Speight was reciting her oath. Police were forced to push the crowd back and Speight was brought into a second room to finish the process.

Fans of Cory Booker worry about how last night’s maneuvering will effect the mayor’s standing in next year’s political race (he is rumored to be running against Chris Christie for New Jersey governor), but you know what they say — in the game of city council seats, you win or you die.

Anti-Cory Booker Mayhem Turns City Council Meeting into Near-Riot [The Atlantic]