Global Courant 2023-05-06 04:01:08
A man was arrested Friday morning at a Los Angeles City Council meeting after protesters interrupted Councilman Kevin de León’s Cinco de Mayo presentation.
The person, who was not identified, was identified by LAPD Sgt. Dennis Clark, who is assigned to the building.
Since De León’s participation in a secretly taped conversation with other city leaders was made public last October, his presence on the council has often drawn derision and abuse from protesters.
Several protesters in the room began to shout when a representative of the Mexican consulate spoke, in the front of the room next to De León. Council President Paul Krekorian interrupted the presentation to call for the demonstrators to be removed, as often happens during council meetings.
As Los Angeles Police Department officers escorted protesters out of the room, the wooden door separating the council chambers from the exterior hallway suddenly slammed shut, as if it seemed to hit Clark in the head, as someone yelled “F—the LAPD.”
Video from inside the room shows the door closing with force, but it’s not clear what caused it.
Officers then rushed to the unknown man, who had just exited through the door, and detained him.
“When we got him out, he slammed the door on me,” said Clark.
General Dogon, a Los Angeles Community Action Network activist who was present, pushed back that story, saying the arrested man had merely closed the door behind him.
After another brief intermission, De León’s presentation continued, with a costumed group performing a traditional Tecuanes dance on the council floor.
“The disruption of the Cinco de Mayo presentation today was embarrassing and disrespectful, embarrassing the city in front of foreign dignitaries who traveled from Mexico to celebrate with members of our local Poblano community passing through for the very first time. the city council were recognized,” De León spokesman Pete Brown said Friday afternoon.
It was the third arrest at a council meeting this year, Clark said.
