As a result of the Tuesday, Oct. 3 Greensboro City Council meeting, Luis Medina, a member of the Working-class and Houseless Organizing Alliance (WHOA), has a lot of company.
At the Sept. 6 City Council meeting, when he was finished speaking from the podium during the monthly public forum, Medina violently slapped the microphone and, at the direction of Mayor Nancy Vaughan, was removed from the meeting for being disruptive. In keeping with a policy approved by the City Council in July, those who are removed from a City Council meeting for being disruptive are banned from in-person attendance at City Council meetings for three months.
At the Oct. 3 meeting, Billy Belcher, also a member of WHOA, questioned the action taken against Medina and, in particular, the fact that Greensboro police officers served him with the notice that he was banned from council meetings for three months.
Belcher said, “I’m curious, if I was to bring a bunch of people in here and started chanting and disrupting your sense of decorum, are you going to send a bunch of cops to every person’s house in that case. Have you thought about that?”
Vaughan replied, “That’s a serious question?”
Belcher said, “Yes.”
Vaughan said, “If it has to be legally served, it will be served by the Police Department.”
Belcher said, “Well, let’s find out.”
Belcher then turned to the audience and in a loud voice chanted, “Whose house is this?”
People in the audience responded, “Our house.”
Belcher slapped the podium for emphasis as he continued the chant.
Vaughan said, “OK. Out.”
At least 10 people were escorted from the Council Chamber as they continued to chant, “Whose house is this?” and “Our house.”
Vaughan said, “Please, make sure we have the names of the people who were removed from the chamber.”
Those removed, including Belcher, will be banned from attending City Council meetings in person for three months.
After an earlier speaker disputed the decision to ban Medina for three months, Councilmember Sharon Hightower said that while she supported free speech, she agreed with the decision to ban Medina for slapping the microphone. Hightower said, “The mayor made that decision and I do agree with it in this situation.”
The circus is getting bigger and it appears council still has no clue as to why. Greensboro definitely has the lower than pond scum for a council. Think before you vote in the next election.
I actually agree with you
What is happening to our City? Why does everyone treat people with such disrespect. It’s everywhere. I may not always agree with City Council, but I was brought up to respect our leaders, as well as everyone else. Kudos to the Mayor and Council for not allowing this to happen in our public meetings. It is our house and we elected the people that sit at the Dias. How many of these people were the 12% that voted last election. If you didn’t vote, it’s not your house. Respect!
Carol did you mention respect? The disrespect in your emails to Councilperson Hightower diminish anything you can say about respect.
Oh really! I would love to see them and know why you think that. And I do respect Council members as our leaders. I didn’t say they were right all of the time.
And how do you know it’s Carol.
I was always taught respect is earned, not just blindly given. Everyone deserves a chance, but when you blatantly abuse that one chance you have, IMHO, forfeited that trust and should be treated accordingly UNTIL you can prove you once again deserve it.
Just as trust is neither given nor taken, it is earned. Trust me.
“We will not allow this rabble to express their freedom of speech or opinion in a non-violent, non-disruptive manner! These chambers belong to the Peoples Republic of Greensboro, not someone who thinks he has the right of free expression!”
Because you question those-who-must-be-obeyed you will be forbidden from participating in YOUR elected government. Hmmm, didn’t we fight a war over something like this?
I’m going to hear about my expressing my opinion like this, that I need to be careful. My answer is…what are you going to do, fire me?
Tax you or deny you benefits…
Good for Nancy Vaughn!
— Did I really say that? Yes, because a democratic chamber cannot be overwhelmed by animals.
Good for her.
Finally we agree.
Free speech is being seriously limited throughout the country by government officials who take an oath to protect the rights of the citizens. These officials work for us, we don’t work for them. Remember that when you vote.
Slap a politician, eat the rich.
The coarse culture we have now is getting much worse. Social media and politicians make it much worse. You can be ugly to people incognito. You can be ugly in person or in public – such as oil climate protestors blocking the streets and highways.
I use YouTube for research and entertainment. The amount of ugliness on that site will make a malcontent out of everyone. It is hard to resist.
Disruptive people should be removed from City Council meetings. However, hitting a microphone is not disruptive behavior. Medina had finished speaking, so the meeting was not being interfered with. Hitting a microphone shows frustrated, child-like behavior, but the behavior was not interfering with the meeting. Giving the City Council leeway to determine disruptive behavior allows for the probability of denying freedom of speech, especially when the penalty is a 3-month exclusion from direct participation in petitioning local government.
Acting in a disruptive fashion at a public meeting should not be construed as freedom of speech. If that were the case how could a public meeting ever be conducted without interruption? Anyone involved in that kind of behavior should be removed and banned from future meetings. Three months is not long enough.
Just the latest iteration of the “Communist Workers Party” that played a considerable role in instigating the infamous”Greensboro Massacre”. The homeless community is just the latest one to be coerced and used by this group to further the ideology that has failed everywhere it has been adopted.
It was not a massacre Wounded Knee was a massacre, Mai Lai in Vietnam was a massacre. The Greensboro Klan Nazi and communist party was a shootout but not a massacre
You’re right Rebel both sides had guns and in the famous 88 second film the communist fired the first shots as Nelson johnson who was a major character in creating the whole damned mess hid under a van. Too bad he survived
Just using the language of the one-sided “Historical Marker” that was placed at the site.
Just using the language of the one-sided “Historical Marker” that was placed at the site.