CHARLOTTE — It was a standing-room-only crowd at the Government Center for Charlotte City Council’s monthly public forum. During the public forum, 15 members of the public are each given two minutes to talk about whatever topic is on their mind.
During last month’s public forum, supporters of Palestine called on Charlotte City Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire. Unlike last month’s meeting, supporters of Palestine and Israel signed up to speak at Monday night’s meeting.
Before the start of the public forum, Lyles warned councilmembers they may have to evacuate the chamber if the conversation got too heated. About 30 minutes later, Lyles ordered her colleagues out.
Breaking- Mayor Vi Lyles just cleared council from the chamber. The dismissal was because Mayor Lyles thought the supporters of Palestine were disruptive pic.twitter.com/ecAiMxkxTo
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) December 12, 2023
After a pro-Palestine speaker refused to leave the podium, supporters of the speaker continued to clap and yell. That led to Lyles ordering city leaders to leave for two minutes.
When Charlotte City Council left, Lyles returned and pleaded to the crowd for civility. Several assured her that would happen.
Charlotte City Council then returned to the chamber to hear from the remaining speakers. The first speaker to address Charlotte City Council when they returned was pro-Israel. Some people in the crowd taunted and disrupted her as she spoke.
When she concluded, the mayor asked them to stop before they went on to the next speaker. Two female Palestine supporters refused to stop. Lyles then ordered the two women to be kicked out but they refused to leave. When they wouldn’t listen to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s commands to depart, Lyles kicked everyone out of the chamber.
Breaking- Mayor Vi Lyles just cleared council from the chamber. The dismissal was because Mayor Lyles thought the supporters of Palestine were disruptive pic.twitter.com/ecAiMxkxTo
— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) December 12, 2023
As Charlotte City Council left and the rest of the crowd departed, several other Palestine supporters yelled at the two who refused to cooperate.
Charlotte City Council finished its meeting in a smaller room with no members of the community present.
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