Name: 'I broke no law,' says Royal Oak city commissioner who attended Lansing protest
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'I broke no law,' says Royal Oak city commissioner who attended Lansing protest

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Detroit Free Press A Royal Oak city commissioner who attended a mass protest last week in Lansing&nbsp;against&nbsp;Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order says she will not resign.City Commissioner Kim Gibbs, who is facing harsh criticism&nbsp;and calls for her resignation on social media, said Monday that she does not plan on resigning from her elected four-year seat.&nbsp;"I broke no law. I'm not in trouble. I did nothing to justify a request to resign," she said.But Mayor&nbsp;Mike Fournier disagrees. He asked Gibbs in an email Thursday, the day after the demonstration,&nbsp;to "strongly consider resigning" from the City Commission.More:He said from the photos he saw of Gibbs, who was spotted in TV news footage and wasn't wearing a mask, she didn't maintain social distance at the demonstration and has endangered the lives of others.Fournier&nbsp;said he has received 50 to 100 emails, many from people who he said are outraged, while he could count on one hand those showing support for Gibbs. He's also received emails from what he called out-of-state fringe groups."It has nothing do with her freedom of speech," Fournier&nbsp;said. "It has everything to do with her violating a law that was put in place to keep our residents safe."More:The City Commission meets Monday, when&nbsp;Fournier said he suspects there will be some discussion on the matter.&nbsp;The mayor said the commission doesn't have the ability to remove Gibbs from office."We do have the ability to censure her or publicly reprimand her or (hold a) vote of no confidence," he said. "Those are things that are still under consideration at this point."Fournier said Whitmer could remove Gibbs from office, but he doesn't believe the governor will take this on in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 2,400 people in Michigan and infected 32,000.The Royal Oak police chief was&nbsp;among those who tested positive for the virus.More:Fournier said residents could try to recall Gibbs.&nbsp;No recall petition language had been filed with the Oakland County Elections Division by Tuesday morning.Gibbs has been on the City Commission since 2017, and admits that as a Republican she is in the minority on the nonpartisan&nbsp;board.She also is a Republican candidate for county commissioner in November, vying&nbsp;for the seat held by board Chairman Dave Woodward, a Democrat. Gibbs said she plans to continue her run for the county seat and will not be withdrawing her candidacy.Demonstrators drove thousands of vehicles, honked horns and displayed protest signs outside the state Capitol on Wednesday, jamming the streets,&nbsp;to protest Whitmer's recently tightened stay-at-home order intended to fight the pandemic.Gibbs, who is an attorney, said she was at the protest because "I know a lot of small business owners, and I am one, and we are not getting any help. There is nothing to help the small businesses that were put out of&nbsp;business for the shutdown."On the day of the protest, she told the that she thought the pandemic had peaked."In my eyes, the scare on the coronavirus is over,” Gibbs was quoted as saying. “I’m not a doctor, but my personal belief is that the people who got it, or are going to get it, have already gotten it, so let’s get back to work.”Fournier, a Democrat, said while Gibbs talked about supporting small businesses, there&nbsp; was a Downtown Development Authority meeting the same day as the demonstration to discuss a $2-million relief package for small businesses in the city.Gibbs called Whitmer's recent order, tightened&nbsp;April 9 to ban "nonessential" sales of goods, travel between households and to vacation homes Up North and prohibiting motorboats from going in the water, "arbitrary and capricious.""I find it ridiculous that we can't buy paint. I find it ridiculous we can't buy seeds," she said, adding that she's concerned liquor stores, the lottery&nbsp;and Planned Parenthood are open, but "I can't do anything that's the equivalent of a hobby to release stress."Whitmer said she hopes for some relaxing of the "stay home" order on May 1, when it is set to expire.More:Gibbs said she has not left her house since returning from the demonstration in Lansing and has received a threat that she reported to Royal Oak Police.Gibbs said she received the message just after 7 p.m. Friday on her personal cellphone and listened to it Saturday morning. She said it "was not a death threat, but it was incredibly creepy, and it's made me think twice about leaving my house."She described it as real low, deep voice, like someone was trying to possibly disguise their voice and "it was a threat to not leave my house."Royal Oak Police Lt. Al Carter said Tuesday the report was filed and that&nbsp;a detective is assigned and investigating. He said: "(u)ntil we complete our investigation, we don't release any of the reports."On Monday, Gibbs said&nbsp;she&nbsp;tried to get in for a COVID-19 test since she may have been exposed to the virus, but was denied&nbsp;because she wasn't showing symptoms, such as a fever or difficulty breathing.Gibbs said a photograph taken by a drone showed that someone may have stood closer than 6 feet behind her at the demonstration.She said she drove to Lansing with a close friend who told her that he tested negative for the virus. She was seen in Fox 2 video standing close to the friend.Gibbs said she was overseas the last week of February and had a doctor's appointment March 13, where she was checked with no symptoms.Gibbs said she did not wear a mask at the demonstration in Lansing. She said she was there for 45 minutes. She said masks are worn to protect and she said that she didn't have the virus.More:"Masks are only recommended. They are not mandated," she said. "And I did not wear a mask. It was outside. It was windy. My mask would have blown off my face."Since returning, Gibbs said she has been "attacked on Facebook," called out and beaten up online. But she said she doesn't regret going to Lansing."I stand for my civil rights. I stand for the Constitution. I stand for the Bill of Rights," she said. "I didn't do anything to break the law. There is a protest exemption of the executive orders, so gathering at that event was not violating any law."Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.

Detroit Free Press A Royal Oak city commissioner who attended a mass protest last week in Lansing&nbsp;against&nbsp;Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order says she will not resign.City Commissioner Kim Gibbs, who is facing harsh criticism&nbsp;and calls for her resignation on social media, said Monday that she does not plan on resigning from her elected four-year seat.&nbsp;"I broke no law. I'm not in trouble. I did nothing to justify a request to resign," she said.But Mayor&nbsp;Mike Fournier disagrees. He asked Gibbs in an email Thursday, the day after the demonstration,&nbsp;to...

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Christina Hall

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primarily serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties.  The Free Press is also the largest city newspaper owned by Gannett, which also publishes USA Today. The Free Press has received ten Pulitzer Prizes and four Emmy Awards. Its motto is "On Guard for 189 Years".

'I broke no law,' says Royal Oak city commissioner who attended Lansing protest

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