LA City Council meeting met with outraged protestors; LAPD issues dispersal order
Wednesday's Los Angeles City Council meeting was met with a group of outraged protestors, shouting and chanting for the resignation of embattled City Councilmen Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo.
The protestors were on hand from the beginning of the meeting, which was called into a recess shortly after it began. Prior to taking the recess, councilmembers were to consider a a motion to censure de León and Cedillo as long as they refuse to resign from their positions after being involved in a racist scandal.
While the censure motion would not force the two to resign from their positions, it does prevent them from partaking in council matters. Members indicated that they would look into legal avenues if de León and Cedillo continued to hold out.
After the meeting returned to the chamber floor, it was again called to recess due to the shouting of protestors, who could be heard chanting "Shame on you!"
LAPD officers declared unlawful assembly and issued a dispersal order for chambers, telling protestors they must leave or officers may take action which may include the use of less than lethal weapons.
"This council has been incredibly tolerant yesterday and today of the type of activity that would normally lead to the end of a council meeting," said Council President Paul Krekorian. "The reason for that is because we have wanted to demonstrate to this city that Mr. de León and his failure to resign will not cause this council to not conduct its work."
Protestors were given 20 minutes to leave the chambers, but after the allotted time none appeared to have left.
At around 12:40 p.m., protestors were finally forced to leave the floor, chanting "We'll be back," as they walked out the doors.
Councilmembers returned to the floor a little after 12:50 p.m. to continue their meeting.
"We are back in session after a significant length of time in which we were in recess, but we're ready to resume the work," Krekorian said after the second recess ended. "I just do want to reiterate that it's important that this council continue to do its work. This council is not going to be deterred from doing that work by protests, or by distractions, or by noise, or by people who come in and cause a disruption in this council chamber."
"One way or the other, this council is going to proceed with the work that we need to do," he said.
It was the second day in a row that in person meetings were disrupted by protestors.
More to come.
