Sacramento City Council meeting becomes chaotic after antisemitic remarks during public comment
By ANDREW HAUBNER
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SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — Frustrations boiled over at Tuesday’s city council meeting After a tirade of antisemitic remarks was met with a response from Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
“It’s unacceptable to me for anyone to spout not only anti semitism but racism, sexism, homophobia in any way and any form,” said Steinberg on Wednesday.
A sign of the times and a polarized social media climate spilling into the public sphere, says CBS13 political analyst Gary Dietrich.
“These kinds of incidents and the grave nature of these conversations has increased,” Dietrich explained.
Disruptions have occurred in the chamber in the past…but the frustrations among other citizens as well as the council were notable.
“Whatever first amendment right people have to spout hate. Those on the receiving end have a first amendment right to get right back at them,” Steinberg followed up. “And that’s what I did. I showed a little emotion last night. I don’t apologize for it.”
The city advertised a posting for a decorum officer in city hall but told CBS13 that the post is more of an add-on job for current council members. In 2018 the mayor himself had the position. Dietrich says that the responses and where to draw the line is a thin one for elected officials.
“There is not an easy remedy and most sociologists and political scientists would say it’s a larger societal issue,” mentioned Dietrich.
While Mayor Steinberg says it will not get in the way of how business is done in the chamber.
“That’s what we try to achieve in those meetings. It’s never perfect but we got the people’s business done last night,” concluded Steinberg.
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