JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Activist Ben Frazier is speaking to First Coast News after his arrest Tuesday night during the Jacksonville city council meeting.
He says he was protesting the removal of confederate monuments.
“Remove Confederate monuments! Am I being arrested?” asked Frazier.
“Fact of the matter is I will fight with the last breath in my body, every energy and molecule that I have to continue this fight until the confederate monuments are removed,” he said.
Frazier says he doesn’t regret speaking beyond his one minute allotted time and being removed in handcuffs.
He says the confederate monuments have been discussed since June by city council members and no decisions have been made.
“We should be a city that is international and a Super Bowl city, a city that expresses itself and its diversity, equity and inclusiveness,” said Frazier.
Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted about the issue saying he’s provided city council with a budget to remove the monuments and “each member should take a position yes or no on monument removal.”
This is a task Councilman Matt Carlucci says he’s prepared to handle.
“I know where I’m at, and I’m comfortable in my skin on how I believe in this issue and I think that the other council members, you’ll have to ask them (how they feel),” he said.
Reporter, Destiny McKeiver, asked Councilman Carlucci how he personally felt about Frazier’s protest and he said, “is it the truth… regardless of his ways he does his opinions and I come down on the side that he is right,” said Carlucci, Jacksonville City Councilmember - At Large.