More than 100 protesters waving banners and signs disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting on Nov. 7 in Northern California with near-constant interruptions and calls for a city resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. It resulted in an unprecedented situation in which the council president appeared to agree with the protest, and two councilmembers abruptly left the meeting.
The evening began routinely, with special announcements made to honor a local community member, celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, and recognize November as Native American Heritage Month.
Since then, Israel has declared war on Hamas, and a recent ground offensive is working to free hundreds taken hostage.
Dozens spoke out about the war, suggested that their tax dollars are helping to fund it, and asked councilmembers to denounce U.S. support.
“We don’t approve of our tax money going to kill thousands of people,” one protester said. “We want justice for the people.”
While the time was slotted for comments related to specific agenda items, Nikki Fortunato Bas, the council president, allowed those gathered to speak on the issue, noting that she was making an exception to the rules.
“Given that we just celebrated Native History month, I think we all understand the connection,” Ms. Bas told the crowd. “So I will allow your commentary.”
Dozens drew comparisons between conditions in Gaza and the homeless in Oakland, demanding the city issue a resolution.
“If you don’t act, we will replace you,” one woman told councilmembers. “Shame on you.”
The council president repeatedly attempted to restore order while assuring commenters that she was listening.
Loud remarks and disruptive behavior continued, with some city officials becoming visibly upset about the lack of decorum.
“We will not be bullied here,” Councilmember Dan Kalb said during one of the many outbursts.
After repeated distractions from angry audience members that prevented the Council from conducting business, Ms. Bas pleaded with protesters to stop interrupting before ultimately requesting a recess that lasted about 15 minutes.
When the group returned, Councilmembers Noel Gallo and Rebecca Kaplan were no longer in attendance, thus leading to further drama when Councilmember Janani Ramachandran was forced to remain in the chamber to maintain quorum.
She had previously been granted permission to leave the meeting early to attend remotely, but the unannounced departure of the two councilmembers resulted in the city attorney’s ruling that Ms. Ramachandran had to stay—to her visible dismay.
It’s unclear why the two councilmembers left, and Mr. Kalb and Ms. Bas said during the meeting that calls and texts to the missing officials went unanswered.
Neither responded to multiple requests for comment.
Faced with an increasingly vocal audience, the council president sought to calm nerves by informing the crowd that she was on the side of those speaking out.
“I personally believe that the killings must stop,” Ms. Bas said during the meeting. “I personally support a ceasefire.”
Efforts were already underway for a resolution, she told the crowd.
“I met with the organizers yesterday, and they began to share content for a piece of legislation,” Ms. Bas said. “You have my word that I will follow up with those that I met with yesterday so that we can discuss the resolution that you wish to bring forward to the Oakland City Council.”
Anxious to see immediate action, the crowd demanded that the Council declare the issue an emergency and draft a resolution on the spot—which was met with resistance from the city attorney.
Such an action isn’t allowed under rules governing public hearings, a spokesperson for the city, Ryan Richardson, told the group—noting that agendas must be posted well before meetings to inform the public, which didn’t go over well with some.
“I don’t appreciate how you treat the public,” Gene Hazzard, Oakland local and political activist, said during the meeting. “You can bend the rules when you want to bend them.”
Many protesters continued to speak over official discussions prompting multiple pleas for order, but security was never asked to remove any of the unruly participants.
Resolutions such as the crowd was seeking were recently passed by the City of Richmond, California, and the Alameda County Democratic Party, with some pushing back against such agendas.
