CHARLOTTE, N.C. — About five protesters were arrested Monday night for disrupting a Charlotte City Council meeting, police said.
Inside the meeting, two pro-abortion rights activists stormed the council members’ dais, climbed on top of it and showed a banner while three others stood in front.
Charlotte City Council voted Monday night on a controversial new ban.
The city is proposing changes to its "noise ordinance."
The meeting was about banning amplified sounds and excessive noise near schools, churches, and medical facilities.
(Landon Rice, Benson Crooks, Julia McCarthy)
The meeting was immediately called into recess after the interruption.
The protesters were given multiple verbal warnings to stop their disruptive behavior, police said.
When they didn’t stop, three of the individuals were arrested.
The other suspects ran from the building and were not apprehended.
The City Council meeting then continued.
Mayor Vi Lyles said the commotion was “a shock to us.”
By an 8-3 vote on Monday night, Charlotte City Council banned amplified sound and excessive noise within 150 feet of churches, schools and medical facilities.
[ [ALSO READ: Anti-abortion protesters want city council to reject noise ordinance changes] ]
>> To view the proposed new noise ordinance, click here.
The measure the council voted on impacts anti-abortion advocates when they protest outside of abortion clinics, which they said would violate their free speech.
It is unknown what, if any, group the activists arrested Monday belonged to. They appeared to be in favor of pro-abortion rights.
Landon Rice, Julia McCarthy and Benson Crooks were charged with disruption of official meetings.