Mayor Miguel Pulido canceled Tuesday night’s Santa Ana City Council meeting after a man refused to remove a cap with an anti-police expletive on it, according to the OC Register.
The young man in question, identified as “Bijan” is affiliated with Santa Ana CopWatch. They posted this message on their Facebook page after the City Council meeting was shut down, “The city council meeting got shut down. The mayor and the cops tried a bluff saying that if we didn’t leave that we would get arrested. Over a hat. The cops were even showing off their cuffs. We stayed and it got shut down. Media was there so expect it in the news. In solidarity with all survivors and victims of police violence. From Santa Ana to Ferguson to Palestine: F*ck the Police.”
These actions were clearly premeditated. The ruckus actually began over a month ago at a previous Council meeting when Mayor Miguel Pulido was upset that while he was trying to give service awards to two Santa Ana police officers there were protestors seated in the Council Chambers holding “f*ck the police” signs. No one on the City Council said or did anything about that and in fact they all ignored the police too. Pulido was the only one who congratulated them on their awards. The meeting left a very negative impression on the members of the Santa Ana Police Officers Association and their President, John Franks, later sent a stern letter to the City Council announcing that unless they could control what happened at their meetings he would not allow his officers to receive awards in Chambers but instead they would be given out at the SAPD headquarters.
The City Council’s lack of respect for the police cost Council Member Michele Martinez their endorsement, which they gave to Ward 2 challenger Mirna Velasquez. And they also endorsed Pulido instead of Councilman Roman Reyna, for Mayor. Reyna and Martinez are thought to have gang ties and they both were involved in shutting down the SAPD’s strike force.
Pulido had the City Manager and his staff draft a decorum ordinance which was supposed to be discussed and voted on by the City Council tonight. But the protestors came to the meeting intent on disrupting it and that is exactly what happened.
Free speech has its limits. Wearing apparel with the F word on it in public meetings is uncalled for. These meetings are televised. It is one thing to videotape officers and to protest their actions when they go bad. But what happened tonight was ridiculous and we applaud Pulido for taking a stand against these irresponsible protestors.
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Will there be more Pulido caused trouble at the upcoming Tuesday council meeting?
He didn't cause the trouble. A young jerk did.
ACLU letter to SA Council & Mayor Pulido (excerpt)
RE: Free Speech Rights at Public Meetings of the Santa Ana City Council
Dear Mayor Pulido and Council Members:
We write to express our strong concern with Santa Ana’s policy and practice of restricting speech at open and public meetings of the Santa Ana City Council. Specifically, the Council’s interpretation of Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 2-104 (as currently written) and the City’s actions at the October 7, 2014 Council meeting, constitute viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Liberty Speech Clause of the California Constitution. Accordingly, we urge you to: 1) immediately issue a public statement where you affirm the right of the public to openly criticize and/or express views contrary to those of the councilor others; 2) provide training to the Council, its staff, and its police department to ensure that the public’s free speech rights to attend and participate in Santa Ana City Council meetings are not unlawfully restricted or further chilled; and, 3) carefully review any proposed revisions or amendments to the Council’s rules of decorum to ensure that they pass constitutional muster.
Nice to know that you support the ACLU....Better not tell your Republican friends they may not let you into the club anymore.
A moot point as the decorum ordinance changes have been delayed.
Not a "moot point" - the ACLU is directly referring to: "the Council’s interpretation of Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 2-104 (as currently written) and the City’s actions at the October 7, 2014 Council meeting."
Yes it is a moot point. The Council has pushed back the changes to the ordinance. Let's see what happens tonight.
Editor - Do you have a reading comprehension problem?
The ACLU is saying that SA's current "policy and practice of restricting free speech .. constitute viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Liberty Speech Clause of the California Constitution."
I'm sure they're referring to the rude young man in the FTP hat. Let's see how they handle this tonight.
Yes indeed - they are referring to the "rude young man" - whose constitutional right to free speech was violated - and to the Council's pattern and history of such violations.
You do realize that Council and the Mayor are sworn to uphold the Constitution - don't you?
What about the Little League players who were at that meeting? Did they deserve to be exposed to that?
That was unfortunate - and it is all on the disruption caused by our inept mayor and council.
No it's on the jerk in the FTP hat.
If this were not involving Mayor Pulido and Councilmembers that Mike dislikes he would be ripping the kid in the hat. It's clear that this call demanding "free speech" depends on who is speaking.
However I am glad to see Mike has come around to supporting the Occupy Movement and the ACLU. Welcome to the left.
Perhaps Mike has forgotten that the ACLU punked his Usual Suspects friends when they were sued and had to tear down the French Park anti-Mexican barricades.
I forgot the ACLU was behind that...I became a card carrying member because of their efforts to tear down those unconstitutional barriers.
When Sean Mill & Mr. Editor switch the subject to me I know that I have won the debate.
What will you both say when the Mayor humbles himself to the public tonight? - and he will .....
So are you saying you support the gang banger candidate Reyna?
Hey Mike where was this newfound dedication to free speech when you tried to have Sean removed from the Planning Commission when he rightfully referred to you as a nimby?
Tinajero put a muzzle on him for me - so no issue there.