CM Glover and CM Sharon Hurt asked Mayor Cooper to address injustices in "a different way," opposed rally.

Mayor Cooper showed a failure of leadership by endorsing the "I will breath" rally.  Due to his own policy of banning gatherings of more than 25 people he had every reason to disavow the rally.  Instead of urging members of the Council to attend the rally, he should have urged people not to attend.

Council member Sharon Hurt, head of the Council's Minority Caucus urged Cooper not to support the rally and said she would not be attending.  That was plenty of cover for Cooper to have made a different decision. 

When the rally tuned violent, by toppling statues, destroying police cars, and breaking windows the police should have moved in in force and made arrest, rather than waiting until rioters set the court house fire. 

Here is the communication from Mayor Cooper urging Metro's leaders to attend the rally.  It is too bad he did not take the advise of Council members Sharon Hurt and Steve Glover.