ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — The City of Royal Oak commissioners have voted in favor of censuring one of their own – commissioner Kimberly Gibbs after she was spotted protesting the stay-at-home order at the state capitol building earlier in April.
The commission voted Monday night 5-2 in favor of the motion – a formal declaration of their disapproval over her attending the 'Operation Gridlock' protest in Lansing on April 15. She did not wear a mask.
The meeting lasted about six hours over a Zoom video conference call.
According to Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier, he asked Gibbs to resign saying she "willfully violated the law and put countless lives at risk."
While commissioners expressed their disapproval of Kimberly Gibbs, she says she's protected by the constitution.
"I was exercising my First Amendment right when I attended Operation Gridlock in support of thousands of Michigan small businesses," Gibbs said. "Even though I violated no laws or rules by the governor, Mayor Fournier and the commission majority wish to destroy my reputation – my livelihood and my political career."
