Pleasant Hill ends remote public comment due to racist, offensive language
PLEASANT HILL, Calif. - The Pleasant Hill City Council voted to end remote public comments after a rash of offensive language has plagued meetings.
City leaders say an organized, anonymous group disrupted Monday’s City Council meeting.
Tim Flaherty, Pleasant Hill’s mayor, called the comments vile, offensive hate speech.
Pleasant Hill is joining a growing list of Bay Area cities ending the ability to chime in with remote public comments.
San Francisco board supervisors voted Wednesday to end remote public comments in a 8-3 vote after it too experienced racist, antisemitic comments.
In September, Sonoma County officials temporarily suspended remote public comments after it experienced "zoom bombing" incidents, and El Cerrito City Council also experienced antisemitic and racist comments during one of its meetings that month.
Remote public comment periods grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its future may be in jeopardy due to racist, offensive comments.
After rash of antisemitic remarks, San Francisco supes limit remote public comment
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors, with an 8-3 vote Tuesday, ended remote public comment at meetings of the board and its committees with some exceptions.