NATCHEZ — Residents angered by an unsuccessful motion to hire a police chief from out of town took to the streets Wednesday afternoon, protesting by marching with placards outside of Natchez City Hall.

The motivation to hire the out-of-towner, they said, was racial.

“There is no other candidate in the running (for police chief) who is as qualified as (Interim Police Chief) Danny White,” the Rev. Leon Howard said. “They only reason they have against him is he is black.”

Protesters said they were angered that Alderman Mark Fortenbery made a motion to hire Baton Rouge Police Department Captain Rudolph Babin at Tuesday night’s board of aldermen meeting. The motion was withdrawn for lack of a quorum after three aldermen — Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis, Rickey Gray and Tony Fields — walked out of the meeting.

Gray had made a motion April 10 to hire White, a vote that was split along racial lines with Mayor Jake Middleton breaking the tie with a ��no” vote. At that time, the mayor said he wanted to wait until all of the information about the chief candidates — for example, if they had college degrees — could be verified.

The mayor said Wednesday had the aldermen not walked out Tuesday, he would have cast another “no” vote. That’s because an alderman had asked at the work session before the meeting if Middleton had gotten a hard copy of a candidate’s diploma to prove the candidate actually held a degree, Middleton said.

“There would have been a vote on the motion had they not walked out,” he said. “Had the board stayed there and let us finish the vote, I was voting ‘nay’ because it was the same situation we had two weeks ago. I am not going to do one thing one time and another thing another time.”

The mayor said he would be calling the civil service commission, which is tasked with gathering such information, to get the hard copies as soon as possible.

For Howard, the choice is obvious — appoint White.

“The aldermen come beg for our votes when it’s an election, but when it comes to appointments, they vote against black people,” he said.

“It is hard to believe that in 2012 you still see white people who would die rather than have a black person in that job.”

Protester Jackie Marsaw said her support for White was because she believes he has the best résumé of all the chief candidates.

“It is not a racial thing, it is qualification,” Marsaw said. “Danny White has the best experience, but they are overlooking it for race.”

Carrying a placard reading “Stop Discrimination Now,” Lillian Lee Ross had one question for the aldermen.

“Why would you go out of town and get someone else?” she said. “It is not about race — we want justice.”

The mayor said one thing is certain, that the appointment of the police chief is not a racial issue. Middleton said some aldermen — he declined to state who — have stated a desire to hire from outside the department to avoid issues like internal department politics and favoritism.

“Why would it be a racial issue?” he said. “If both candidates are qualified, make a vote and choose which one you think is best.

“I want to look at the guy who is most qualified for the job.”

Concerned resident Thelma Johnson said she was upset the issue was brought up a week before the election.

Middleton said he was out of the office for much of Wednesday morning, and when he was in City Hall he did not pay attention to the protests outside. The mayor said he was willing to work with any of the candidates for the job and did not have a preference.

But like Johnson, the mayor said the election is a reality that needs to be considered at this time.

“It is so close to the election, why do you want to do it now — why don’t you wait until the new administration comes in?” he said. “I think that is the wisest thing to do at this point in time, whether it is Danny White or one of the others.”

The police chief position has been open since former chief Mike Mullins retired in November at the board’s request.