Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Approximatly thirty-five members and supporters of the American Indian Movement of Florida and local residents rallied for two and half hours in front of the North Port City Hall sending a clear message to North Port that the desecration of the Indigenous cemetery at Warm Mineral Springs will not be tolerated, and that Commissioner Rue (the non-thinking man's racist) Berryman's inane apology for his public racist comments was not accepted.

Ten North Port Police Officers (nearly the whole shift) guarded the council chambers and building as AIM members and supporters surrounded the exits and challenged Berryman to come out and personally apologize to his "favorite kind of people" as he so eloquently put it in his so-called apology. North Port Police notified the city council over a public address system "Mr. Berryman the Indians are here" At least two North Port city officials came out to state that Berryman does not represent them or their views. Florida AIM State Executive Director Sheridan Murphy also repeatedly challenged Berryman on a bull horn, to come out and talk. Murphy also asked North Port City Council Chairman Joe Fink where his car was parked. Murphy, AIM Florida Security Director George Garcia and visiting Anishinabe Tom Bonomo repeatedly disrupted the city council meeting with the AIM song which reverberated inside the city council chambers. AIM Florida Pasco Area Director Ruby Beaulieu chastised city council members and exposed their "Native American Consultant" Jim Arrowhawk" as not representing the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma as he had claimed.

Numerous local residents came out to support the AIM Florida protest and many offered to help AIM Florida with a recall effort and announced their support of a potential AIM Florida lawsuit. In addition to the people who physically came out to support AIM Florida , numerous other residents drove by and honked in support of the protest and some stopped to give words of encouragement. AIM Florida members and supporters came from as far away as Miami and Lady Lake (Orlando) to protest the potential desecration of the site and Berryman's vile racism.

The protest ended with the AIM song done a few feet from the city council chamber at the rear exit of the building. Four North Port officers quickly moved to prevent the drums entrance to the building and ordered the door closed, which Mike Wicks was politely holding open for anyone who wanted to enter, and ushered the singers to the edge of the pathway by the door.

AIM Florida has filed complaints against Berryman with the US Justice Department Office of Civil Rights, US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida as well as the Florida Ethics Commission, Florida Attorney Generals Office for Civil Rights, Florida Governors Office and the Florida Human Relations Commission. In addition to a recall effort which AIM Florida will support, AIM Florida is also reviewing litigation options in regards to Berryman. AIM Florida has urged the owner of the land Warm Mineral Springs is on to dialogue with traditional Seminole Bobby C Billie, which the owner appears to be doing and we are encouraged by his cooperative dialogue with Mr. Billie. It remains to be seen if he will hold to his constructive agreements with Mr. Billie.