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Marty Walsh sacks city worker for role in barrel sit-in, citing safety risk
Boston Herald ^ | 1/18/15 | Richard Weir

Posted on 01/18/2015 12:22:15 PM PST by Impala64ssa

Mayor Martin J. Walsh has fired a 25-year-old city youth worker after learning the Roxbury woman was among 11 protesters who chained themselves to 1,200-pound, concrete-filled barrels in Milton on Thursday, snarling morning rush-hour traffic and stalling at least two ambulances, the Herald has learned. As mayor, you have to make tough, difficult decisions. This is not a difficult decision,” Walsh said. “This was not based on the fact of this woman protesting. It was based on the fact of putting the public safety of other people at risk.”

Nelli Ruotsalainen, a part-time youth communication specialist for the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, was noncooperative and “pled the Fifth” at her City Hall hearing yesterday, after which a Labor Relations committee recommended she be terminated, according to city officials.

Walsh said he fully supports the right to demonstrate but these protesters crossed the line — and endangered and disrupted people’s lives. The mayor said he was particularly upset that the protesters jeopardized the life of an 83-year-old car crash victim whose ambulance had to be rerouted from Boston Medical Center to a Brockton hospital.

“You can’t put people in harm’s way like that,” he said.

A separate group of 18 protesters blocked traffic by creating a “human chain” of bodies linked together with pipes, ropes and chains on I-93 in Medford. All 29 protesters were arrested and arraigned Thursday.

A press release they sent out claimed that while none are African-American, they were supporting Black Lives Matter, an activist group that has staged rallies in response to police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Mo., and Staten Island, N.Y.

Ruotsalainen, a Finland native, could not be reached for comment yesterday. She pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to seven charges: trespassing, throwing glass on a public way, willfully obstructing an emergency vehicle, conspiracy, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and throwing an object on a public way.

The mayor said the contract employee called her supervisor Thursday morning requesting an unpaid personal day.

“She was not terminated because she protested, because if you take a personal day you can do what you want on that day. She was terminated because of the risk of public safety. ... The way the events unfolded (Thursday) really bothered me,” Walsh said.

First Amendment lawyer Harvey Silverglate said protesters’ rights to free speech “go out the window” when they cause such massive disruption — and municipal employees have fewer such rights than regular citizens. “Even an ordinary citizen,” he said, “could not be protected from that kind of disruptive activity.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: blacklivesmatter; boston; finnish; whiteprivilege
I wonder how "Mumbles" Menino would've handled this. This is the face of dumba**edness.

Can the people in the ambulances that were stuck in traffic caused by the protesters go after them legally? BTW, I will make a deal with Oprah, Whoopi, Al and all the other racial racketeers. I will trade in my "White privilege" for their combined net worth.
1 posted on 01/18/2015 12:22:15 PM PST by Impala64ssa
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To: Impala64ssa

Cute but stupid. Pass.


2 posted on 01/18/2015 12:31:44 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Impala64ssa

3 posted on 01/18/2015 12:34:33 PM PST by MuttTheHoople (Ob)
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To: Impala64ssa

I like stories with happy endings.


4 posted on 01/18/2015 12:34:44 PM PST by originalbuckeye (Moderation in temper is always a virtue; moderation in principle is always a vice. Paine)
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To: FreedomPoster

MHZNetworks runs a Finnish PI show that sort of gives a view into parts of the culture.


5 posted on 01/18/2015 12:34:53 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: Impala64ssa

You fired a part time employee?

Well, you’re so strong.

She can’t be the only asshat in the employ of your city.


6 posted on 01/18/2015 12:38:42 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Vendome

It’s like 100 lawyers at the bottom of the sea.

AKA “It’s a start”...


7 posted on 01/18/2015 12:45:57 PM PST by null and void (The aggregate effect of competitive capitalism is indistinguishable from magic)
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To: Impala64ssa
25-year-old city youth worker

Makes you wonder if she was in charge of teaching the youts how to make BAD decisions

8 posted on 01/18/2015 12:49:18 PM PST by Bernard (The Road To Hell is not paved with good results.)
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To: null and void

More like a dimnished point, with no line or superfice.

Just nothing solid....

But, I do like marshmallow creme. ...


9 posted on 01/18/2015 12:55:08 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Impala64ssa

If any injury occurred to those who needed the ambulances, the “protestors” should be charged with a crime. If anyone died, they should be charged with felony murder.


10 posted on 01/18/2015 12:57:28 PM PST by piytar (If you don't know what taqiyya and the doctrine of abrogation are, you are a fool!)
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To: Impala64ssa

Were she black she’d have been let off the hook.

Dumb HONKY = fired


11 posted on 01/18/2015 1:00:37 PM PST by gaijin
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To: originalbuckeye

Well, not really. Now she’ll go on welfare and continue costing the tax payers of MA $. Then again its pretty hard to feel bad for the tax payers as they seem quite happy w/ liberals in charge. LOL, guess you were right...they richly deserve each other. Never mind ;)


12 posted on 01/18/2015 1:53:18 PM PST by 556x45
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To: Impala64ssa
Not shocking that the mayor fired her, shocking that any of the protesters had a job to be fired from.
13 posted on 01/18/2015 2:21:33 PM PST by fungoking (Tis a pleasure to live in the Ozarks)
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To: Impala64ssa

Should sue her and the people who organized it.


14 posted on 01/18/2015 3:11:02 PM PST by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Impala64ssa
a part-time youth communication specialist

Useless welfare job.

15 posted on 01/18/2015 3:39:31 PM PST by IronJack
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To: Impala64ssa

That is an interesting point. If someone lost their job, lost wages, any other number of consequences as a result of their protest... would be interesting if someone would sue, what the courts would decide.


16 posted on 01/18/2015 3:42:55 PM PST by ican'tbelieveit
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To: Impala64ssa

God bless him. Looks like it would have been a very difficult decision for me. I mean, just on the surface...


17 posted on 01/18/2015 4:29:43 PM PST by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: IronJack
Useless welfare job.

Is that her in the pic? Maybe the position was created for her...

18 posted on 01/18/2015 4:30:33 PM PST by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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To: MuttTheHoople

He “sacked” her. It says so.


19 posted on 01/18/2015 4:30:55 PM PST by 9thLife ("Life is a military endeavor..." -- Pope Francis)
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