Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down Denver City Council meeting
Pro-Palestinian activists caused chaos at the Denver City Council meeting on Monday night, forcing the council to postpone the second half of their scheduled business.
The disruptive protest was organized by a group speaking out against the Global Conference for Israel, which is set to take place in Denver later this week. The event, which will feature prominent figures including Jewish Governor Jared Polis, has attracted opposition from activists who have made it their mission to shut it down.
The demonstration began during the scheduled public comment period, with activists taking over the council chamber and waving Palestinian flags while making impassioned pleas to the council members.
Despite their demands, the councilors refused to engage in dialogue and instead chose to adjourn the meeting after almost two hours of disruption.
This is not the first time that pro-Palestinian activists have caused the council to go into recess, showing a blatant disregard for the city's legislative process. This time, the council was forced to postpone important business, including accepting a proclamation for World AIDS Day and considering two groups seeking to rezone properties in north Denver.
According to Council President Jamie Torres, the group's behavior left the council with no choice but to adjourn the meeting, as it was unclear how much longer the disruption would continue.
The protest was fueled by the group's opposition to the Jewish National Fund USA, which is organizing the Global Conference for Israel. Speakers at the meeting accused the organization of raising money for the brutalization of Palestinians, with one individual even comparing the event to a fundraiser for Nazi Germany.
Despite these baseless attacks, the leader of the Jewish National Fund USA's Mountain States region, Sam Goldberg, maintains that the conference will include reasonable and thoughtful critiques of Israel. However, this has not stopped pro-Palestinian and progressive groups from vowing to protest the event and try to “shut it down.”
Not only did the activists disrupt the council meeting, but they also attempted to push their own political agenda by calling for a resolution supporting a permanent cease-fire in Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas.
This is yet another example of their attempt to hijack the city's legislative process and push their own divisive views.
Council President Torres was also forced to address the fact that the council has no authority to dictate who rents the Colorado Convention Center, the venue for the Global Conference for Israel.
Despite this, the activists continue to use the council meeting as a platform to voice their anti-Israel sentiments.
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While there were law enforcement officers present, Torres made it clear that the council has no intention of removing the protesters, further highlighting the group's disregard for the rule of law and orderly governance.
Torres said that the council will be reviewing their protocol for public comment sessions to prevent similar disruptions from occurring in the future.
Denver residents deserve better than this kind of behavior from those who claim to be advocating for a cause. It is time for pro-Palestinian activists to respect the legislative process and engage in productive dialogue rather than causing chaos and hindering the city's progress.