Mpls City Council Votes to Establish Lawful Conduct Guidelines for Public Meetings

Yesterday, the Minneapolis City Council voted 7-6 in favor of requesting that the legislature establishes “clear guidance for lawful conduct at public meetings. They also voted in favor of harsher punishments for threatening or harming public officials.

Minnesota hasn’t had formal laws regarding meeting disruptions since 2017–when a lawsuit ended in the Supreme Court ruling that laws prohibiting meeting disruptions were in violation of First Amendment Rights. Both new measures were introduced by the Council’s Vice President Linea Palmisano.

Public meetings have consistently been met with protests since the laws were invalidated and many believe the Council asking for guidance *now* is part of a larger effort to suppress and criminalize BIPOC voices and experiences—particularly when it comes to the future of the Roof Depot building—which has brought many Indigenous activists and communities of color to Council in protest of the demolition.

Councilmember Robin Wonsley, who represents Minneapolis’ Second Ward and has been a consistent supporter of the Roof Depot demolition protests, put out a formal statement in opposition to the Council’s request, and also wrote on Instagram, “It is very dangerous to conflate Black and Indigenous residents’ about a harmful city-led project with right wing violence…From Stop Cop City in Atlanta to Line 3 Water Protectors here in Minnesota, increased criminal penalties are being used as a tool for retribution.”

City Council is not able to change rules about meeting conduct, even with this vote. The vote only asks Legislature to consider providing guidance.

#bipoc #news #protest #firstamendment #stopcopcity #defendthedepot #littleearth #indigenous #minneapolis #minnesota