SACRAMENTO, Calif. — City council meetings are supposed to be a place where important decisions are made, but during Tuesday evening's Sacramento City Council meeting, dozens of protestors interrupted and shut it down for multiple hours. Now, councilmembers and the mayor are demanding changes to get meetings back to what they're meant to be.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called for a recess during Tuesday evening's city council meeting during a discussion on a resolution calling for an immediate bilateral ceasefire in Gaza and Israel.
Before any decision could be made, that recess was called as dozens of people protested and shouted during public comment. The meeting was delayed by two hours with Sacramento Police Department arresting 12 people for failing to disperse and unlawful assembly.
"We can only model the behavior that we want to see in others," said Steinberg.
Over the past few weeks, councilmember Lisa Kaplan says she's noticed meetings getting interrupted more frequently and she's had enough of it.
"This behavior is like a bunch of petulant toddlers speaking out and yelling out who don't want to follow the rules," she said.
Both Kaplan and Steinberg have been the target of similar outbursts in the past. Last May, a member of the Proud Boys made antisemitic comments, causing police to clear out council chambers just like they did Tuesday night.
Political Analyst Steve Swatt says he's not surprised by the disturbance.
"I think people are so emboldened now, I mean, obviously, it's a very controversial issue. And it's very emotional. But also they see what's been happening in other communities and they think, well, 'maybe we should try the same tactics,'" Swatt said.
Kaplan says there needs to be decorum.
"No more shouting from the audience, no more disrupting. If it happens, recess, and then if it happens again, clear the chambers," Kaplan said.
Steinberg will be focused on enforcing good behavior.
"I can enforce the rules and that's exactly what I will do. We're gonna do our very best to listen to everybody and if we have to, we'll remove people, if we have to," said Steinberg.
A Sacramento Police Department spokesperson says officers will be deployed to meetings on a case-by-case basis. When it comes to people who were at the meeting to follow the rules, Kaplan urges those people to write to their councilmembers through email and they will be addressed.
WATCH MORE: Sacramento City Council chambers cleared, arrests made as resolution calling for ceasefire debated
