Santa Ana Mayor Cancels City Council Meeting After Confrontation With Anti-Police State Activists

A hat, yes, a hat set this whole thing off. In the "land of the free"...

Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido called off Tuesday night’s City Council meeting after a chaotic confrontation over free speech and decorum that began when the mayor ordered the council chambers cleared because a man would not abide by his order to remove a hat with an obscene statement directed at police.

Voice of OC

Graphic (yet in my opinion, wholly appropriate) language:

The man, a 22-year-old member of an activist group called CopWatch Santa Ana and who goes by the name Bijan, was sitting in the nearly packed chambers wearing a hat with the words “F# the Police.” Before the public portion of the meeting began, Pulido ordered Bijan to remove the hat or leave, declaring the hat a threat to decorum.

When Bijan ignored the order, Pulido directed everyone in the council chambers to leave. But a group of approximately 20 residents also refused to go and said the mayor was trying to shut down free speech.

My gut tells me the mayor simply got his panties in a bunch because people weren't following his orders. Or the orders of his hired goons (cops). Another megalomaniac politician discarding the rights of others when his ego is threatened. They'll probably re-elect the asshole.

Tuesday's council agenda included a possible vote on new council chamber decorum rules that would have granted council members greater power to remove meeting attendees they deemed disruptive.

Ya don't say. What a coincidence.

I wouldn't be surprised if Santa Ana proposes bans on torches and pitchforks, if they haven't already.

You generally can not wear a hat in a US courtroom.

originally posted by: Elton

You generally can not wear a hat in a US courtroom.

Why didn't they just say so? All I heard was the vague "decorum" objection; that it was disruptive and offensive. If it was just about the technicality of wearing a hat, how about "Hey, you can't wear hats in here."? I suspect they still would have tried to kick him out if it was written on a shirt instead.

And besides, it's a public city council meeting not a "court of law".

Who's ready for fascism? It's pretty much here already.

originally posted by: Elton
You generally can not wear a hat in a US courtroom.

So a city council meeting is a court room? It may be held in a court room, but do the same rules apply?

Maybe this video will provide some additional perspective. They cleared out a packed room because they got offended (or scared) that someone would dare question their authority... with a hat. Childish, really:

a reply to: NthOther

So in other words dozens of politically active concerned citizens who took the time to show up were told to go home because subversive had an offensive hat.

Where are all the free speech advocates who show up to defend homophobes and racists using hate speech? I guess they just want the right to discriminate and care nothing about the true purpose of the 1st amendment which is being able to criticize the government.

It's sad. You post a thread about someone being censored for hate speech and they show up in droves. Post something about government censorship and oppression of citizens trying to participate in our democracy and no one cares.

originally posted by: Elton
You generally can not wear a hat in a US courtroom.

I would love to run with the OP's nerartive.....GOD I want to run with it.....

But I cant. You clearly under all rules of decorum have to remove your hat.

When a women enters the room you "should stand" and "remove your hat" and "introduce" yourself if your host hasn't.

If a judge enters a court room the same rules apply.

Respect........it costs you nothing, and yet showing it demands a parade................WTF??????!!!!!!!!!!!!

a reply to: oblvion

Dude it's not a court case with a sitting judge. It was a town hall meeting. Were you not paying attention?

a reply to: tavi45

It is a city council meeting, and can carry the sme rules. Locally, its the same way. If you leave your hat on the council will eject you.

what would be interesting would be if anyone else had worn a hat in the council meeting recently. Because that is a precedence.

Additionally, swear words (which may be considered illegal for public use depending on decency laws and whatnot) absolutely are a "no-no".

If this is what the Liberty Movement is becoming, count me out. This is some Code Pink type behavior.

originally posted by: oblvion

You clearly under all rules of decorum have to remove your hat.

Clearly? Yeah, I'm sure the average citizen knows the "rules of decorum" of the city council.

Not once in any article I've read on the incident does it say anything about a general ban on hats worn by the public in council meetings. Maybe I'm just missing it, but again it seems to me that this wasn't the concern at all. If it was, they would have said so clearly. The media would have said so clearly (not that you can trust that).

If this man violated the rules of decorum by wearing a hat, why wasn't he arrested for not complying? Or at the very least fined?

Nope. Nothing. That's because the hat itself wasn't the issue. The mayor simply didn't like what was written on it and decided to act like a little brat until he got his way, at the expense of the rights of others.

If that is the case, and hats are generally not allowed, why are the police practicing selective enforcement? One of the activists makes that clear as well: the city didn't want a lawsuit.

Noble motivation, indeed.

Maybe police should start wearing hats that say 'F*** the Citizens'.

I really don't see how making a statement with clothing such as this helps the situation or fixes anything.

Screw decorum, this is about the right to disagree with the govt. Furthermore - not wearing a hat is a sign of respect and respect is earned. You can't force people to back a govt THIS violent and oppressive. Fight me if you don't like it I know my rights and I know what I'm willing to do so come at me

Pick you battles. They would have accomplished more by being in a meeting and stating their position.