Members of the City Commission on Tuesday condemned agitators responsible for an unruly demonstration which forced the body into an abrupt adjournment during its previous meeting.
At the commission’s last meeting two weeks ago, City Manager Mark Washington directed Police Chief Joe Trigg to dismiss a group of agitators who derailed public comment by chanting slogans accusing the city of cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The chants broke out after one speaker ran over her three minute public comment allotment, but demanded to be allowed additional time.
During Tuesday’s meeting, LaGrand opened by addressing the commission’s public comment rules, which prohibit swearing and holding signs. The rules also direct members of the audience to refrain from clapping or cheering.
He added, however, the rules should only be interpreted as suggestions.
“The final instructions there are hopes. They are not mandates because of the First Amendment,” LaGrand said.
LaGrand said that due to the “increased difficulty” presented by commenters who ran over their three-minute allotment, he had asked City Clerk Joel Hondorp to cut a commenter’s microphone at three minutes. Hondorp cut off commenters multiple times during the meeting after they used up their time.
In their closing comments, multiple commissioners referred to last week’s disruption and condemned those involved for taking time away from others who hadn’t gotten the chance to speak.
Commissioner Kelsey Perdue said that she received a message from an elderly man who walked two miles to be at the meeting and waited three hours to speak to the commission, before he was cut off by the agitators. She used the instance of an example of what gets lost when public comment rules are broken.
“It is frustrating when other community members who are also advocating for marginalized communities, and who are also advocating for causes that seem to align, lose their chance to give their voice, and to participate in the public conversation as well as hear and hold accountable the folks up here on those said issues,” she said.
Commissioner AliciaMarie Belchak took a much harsher stance, saying the agitators were responsible for infringing on the liberties granted by the First Amendment.
“After much reflection and processing on my own reactions to what happened last Tuesday, I must say that I continue to surface some supreme disappointment and diplomatic dismay,” she said. “What I witnessed across the board was an incredible lack of respect for the First Amendment and the democratic privilege that provides public comment under the open meetings act.”
“[Democracy] is not an invitation to devolve into our worst instincts and tendencies,” she added. “Any right overly taken inherently infringes upon another individual’s rights.”
While Washington did not directly address the disruption Tuesday, he had chided LaGrand during the last meeting for not upholding public comment rules.
“Remind the City Commission of your own rules, that you’re not to expect comment from the commission during public comment as well,” Washington said to LaGrand.
The unruly behavior during the last meeting sparked reactions communitywide, including from the Grand Rapids Chamber which quipped “recess was more fun in school.”
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