Leaders of the Cincinnati Black United Front, one of the groups calling for a boycott of the city, say they are becoming increasingly frustrated by what they say is a failure by city officials to address issues of economic, social and police injustice.

        The civil rights group is so fed up that it plans to show up in force at today's City Council meeting and shred copies of the historic collaborative agreement it signed just a month ago.

        Afterward, the group plans to protest in front of police headquarters, where they will once again ask for the resignation of Police Chief Tom Streicher.

        “There comes a point where you have to call a spade a spade,” said the Rev. Damon Lynch III, BUF president. “You have city leaders saying they want the boycott to dissipate rather than be resolved.”

        Councilman Pat DeWine said city leaders have acted in good faith since signing the agreement on April 3. Instead of protesting at council, Mr. DeWine suggested that the BUF work harder to live up to its end of the agreement.

        “I think people are getting tired of theatrics,” Mr. DeWine said Tuesday. “We've had too much theater. We need a little more productive work together in good faith.

        “Quite frankly, there has been a real concern about violent crimes and homicides in our city. The BUF could do a lot more to hold up their end of the bargain.”

        The criticisms come two weeks before U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott will hold a “fairness hearing” on the collaborative agreement.

        The hearing will give supporters and opponents a chance to speak on the landmark settlements, which revamped police procedures on use of force, created an independent review authority and outlined a new relationship between police and the community.

        “I don't know what will happen on June 6 at this point,” said Juleana Frierson, the BUF's chief of staff. “We have to think about do we support the agreement or do we want to go to litigation?

        “Ever since we signed that agreement, the city has done nothing but act in bad faith,” she said. “So before we express our concerns to the judge, we are going to express them to the city.”

        Among those concerns is the city's pace in raising $600,000 in private funds to pay fees for lawyers who were involved in a federal lawsuit against the city. Also at issue is a city report that cleared police officers in a high-profile traffic stop last year.

        The Rev. Mr. Lynch said the money is overdue.

        “That should have been done a month ago,” he said.

        Mr. DeWine said it's not the city's fault if private donors don't want to foot the bill.

        In a guest column in the Cincinnati Herald last week, the Rev. Mr. Lynch reiterated that the boycott remains strong and criticized those who are trying to exploit internal dissension.

        He likened the fracture in the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati to historic splits in the civil rights movement and warned city leaders against perceiving it as a sign of weakness.

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