The Sacramento City Council meeting was put on pause after a disruption Tuesday night between several people, which led to a police presence at City Hall.Video shared with KCRA 3 shows two groups of people shoving each other. Some profanity could be heard, along with chants of “Go home Nazis!”No one was injured, and no one was detained, according to the Sacramento Police Department.Sacramento police said it is unclear what started the disruption. Sacramento resident Keyan Bliss, who is also on the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, was inside the meeting and told KCRA 3 that people were saying antisemitic remarks.”Those white supremacists were deliberately provoking people and shouting really hatefully things,” Bliss said. “They basically used city council as a platform to spout vile, racist rhetoric and antisemitic rhetoric.”Despite the tense atmosphere, Bliss felt that a police response was not necessary. He said he was especially disheartened when the city council resumed and public comment could only be made online. He said everyone should have been able to speak about the topic at hand, which was regarding the unhoused population in Sacramento.”I’m just flabbergasted that this meeting is allowed to continue without any members of the public,” Bliss said. “What about the people who don’t have reliable internet access? What about the people who don’t have Zoom downloaded or aren’t able to participate via Zoom?”A statement from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s office reads:“Democracy is messy and imperfect. As city leaders we have the responsibility to make sure there are safe and viable ways for everyone to participate in public governance and have their voice heard at the city council.Dissenting and passionate voices have a vital role in pushing elected officials to respond faster and better to real human suffering. While bigots and racists have a first amendment right to spew their hate, they have no right to incite violence.No one, no matter their point of view, has the right to disrupt the public’s business or make it impossible for others to participate. If this kind of disruption continues, we will do everything necessary to ensure safety within the chambers. The public will always get the chance to be heard, even if temporarily by Zoom or telephone.This is the imperfect balance we must strike to assure there is a viable and safe way for everyone to participate in our council.”City Council Member Lisa Kaplan took to Twitter to respond to the disruption afterward.Council Member Karina Talamantes also responded following the meeting pause.The city’s livestream was taken down but resumed around 7:30 p.m.
The Sacramento City Council meeting was put on pause after a disruption Tuesday night between several people, which led to a police presence at City Hall.
Video shared with KCRA 3 shows two groups of people shoving each other. Some profanity could be heard, along with chants of “Go home Nazis!”
No one was injured, and no one was detained, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Sacramento police said it is unclear what started the disruption.
Sacramento resident Keyan Bliss, who is also on the Sacramento Community Police Review Commission, was inside the meeting and told KCRA 3 that people were saying antisemitic remarks.
“Those white supremacists were deliberately provoking people and shouting really hatefully things,” Bliss said. “They basically used city council as a platform to spout vile, racist rhetoric and antisemitic rhetoric.”
Despite the tense atmosphere, Bliss felt that a police response was not necessary. He said he was especially disheartened when the city council resumed and public comment could only be made online. He said everyone should have been able to speak about the topic at hand, which was regarding the unhoused population in Sacramento.
“I’m just flabbergasted that this meeting is allowed to continue without any members of the public,” Bliss said. “What about the people who don’t have reliable internet access? What about the people who don’t have Zoom downloaded or aren’t able to participate via Zoom?”
A statement from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s office reads:
“Democracy is messy and imperfect. As city leaders we have the responsibility to make sure there are safe and viable ways for everyone to participate in public governance and have their voice heard at the city council.
Dissenting and passionate voices have a vital role in pushing elected officials to respond faster and better to real human suffering.
While bigots and racists have a first amendment right to spew their hate, they have no right to incite violence.
No one, no matter their point of view, has the right to disrupt the public’s business or make it impossible for others to participate.
If this kind of disruption continues, we will do everything necessary to ensure safety within the chambers. The public will always get the chance to be heard, even if temporarily by Zoom or telephone.
This is the imperfect balance we must strike to assure there is a viable and safe way for everyone to participate in our council.”
City Council Member Lisa Kaplan took to Twitter to respond to the disruption afterward.
Council Member Karina Talamantes also responded following the meeting pause.
The city’s livestream was taken down but resumed around 7:30 p.m.
