A recent GreenPearl real estate event got off to a bad start when Pier Sixty’s event hall filled with protesters from New York Communities for Change. The group claimed keynoter and Equity Group Investments chairman Sam Zell had displaced residents of his mobile home communities.

Then, during Zell's keynote with Linneman Associates principal Peter Linneman, the two began discussing abolition of China’s one-child law, stating “nothing happened” after the law change. Peter said the "explanation" came from just "[looking] at Chinese men," The Real Deal reports.

Zell said the comment was “too heavy” for him, but an audience member made his distaste quite known. A GreenPearl representative tried to silence the audience member—a military veteran who lives in one of Zell's properties—and told him respect the panelists’ time.

Neither Bisnow nor EisnerAmper, who was sponsoring the event, condone Linneman’s comments. [TRD]