At the same time, outside of the Max Fisher Music Center, over 100 workers picketed the speech, protesting against the proposed “downsizing” and calling for a “bailout” for Detroit.

The picket was organized by AFSCME District Council 25, which includes the main city workers’ unions, but they were joined by teachers and school workers, bus drivers, health care and hospital workers, autoworkers, unemployed, unorganized, disabled and retired workers, working-class students and parents.

With signs reading, “Stop Bing’s Assault on Detroit,” and chants of, “No Closings, No Cuts, Detroit Won’t Go to the Back of the Bus,” workers rallied to voice their concerns and demands that they not pay for the bosses’ mistakes.

Inside the theater, Bing singled out AFSCME 25 and attacked them by name, accusing them of “undermining” his plans to “downsize” the city: “Their refusal to recognize the fiscal realities we face costs the city half a million dollars every month; that’s half a million of your tax dollars.”

Apparently for Bing, the millions of tax dollars paid by city workers every month belong to the suburbs and capitalists.

The focus of Bing’s speech, however, was on his plan to “downsize” Detroit itself. Ever since he announced his intent to forcibly remove tens of thousands of residents and turn one-fourth of the city into a no-man’s land, he has faced a growing backlash and opposition from residents.

Nevertheless, Bing plans to move forward. In an interview this morning, Bing reiterated his views on decimating large areas of Detroit: “In the end, it is my decision to take the plan forward, and I know it is not going to be easy.”

“There are people that are going to have to be displaced and there will be people who are angry. I understand that, but I’ve got to do what I have to do and what’s best for the City of Detroit [i.e., the capitalists and managers who put him in power], not just specific individuals.”