An Oakland city council meeting was overrun Tuesday evening when a crowd of protesters stormed the building. Moments after Mayor Schaaf wrapped up a budget presentation to the council, the crowd entered the room armed with bullhorns, props and banners, which supported a number of various causes ranging from police accountability to affordable housing and gentrification issues in general.
Council Member McElhaney attempted to call the meeting to order, only to be drowned out by the chants and clapping from the crowd. After 20 minutes, she eventually called the meeting to recess and did not reconvene that evening.
Overall, Council Member Gallo found the demonstration unsettling, citing the number of residents who were stripped of their ability to participate in the council meeting. Among these individuals were small business owners that had been nominated by the council for a special commendation for their commitment to the city, as well as a number of activists who were scheduled to speak that evening.
Rashidah Gringe, coordinator of the Coalition for Police Accountability, was one of these activists prevented from speaking. “I’m not going to lie, we were frustrated,” she said, later adding that she had helped pull together a number of people to speak on an agenda item regarding the Citizens’ Police Review Board – a measure the protesters claimed to support.
In the interim, Council Member Gallo is drafting a proposal for tighter rules for council meetings, which is likely to include barring entrances to the chambers and stricter security checkpoints at the doors.
For more on Tuesday’s protest, click here.