The Boulder City Council on June 5 suspended its open comment period for this week’s council meeting, marking a significant step in response to more than a year of frequent disruptions by attendees urging a Gaza ceasefire resolution. In recent months, some of the rhetoric has escalated into personal attacks against Jewish councilmembers.
The decision came four days after a man threw Molotov cocktails at participants in the weekly Run for Their Lives event on Pearl Street. At least a dozen people were injured, and three remain hospitalized, according to law enforcement. Prosecutors said the attacker yelled “Free Palestine” during the assault and later told investigators he targeted Run for Their Lives participants because he “hated the Zionist group,” echoing language heard at recent council meetings.
For more than a year, residents have used open comment to condemn Israel’s war in Gaza and urge councilmembers to pass a ceasefire resolution, often alleging they bear some responsibility for the conflict. Some remarks in recent months have included antisemitic slurs and direct personal attacks, including at least one attendee calling a Jewish councilmember a Nazi and a Jewish supremacist. The city has responded by increasing police presence at meetings, among other measures.
Mayor Aaron Brockett said the suspension was needed in part to focus on the business of the city. During the meeting, a group of about a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the municipal building, with their chants audible inside the chambers.
“Our open comment over the last year and a half has been increasingly dysfunctional and divisive and has often left community members feeling unsafe,” he said. “So after the horrific terror attack on Sunday, I feel this is a time for us to be coming together as a community.”
Supporting the measure were Mayor Aaron Brockett, Mayor Pro Tem Lauren Folkerts, Councilmembers Tina Marquis, Ryan Schuchard, Nicole Speer, Mark Wallach and Tara Winer.
Opposing it were Councilmembers Taishya Adams and Matt Benjamin.
“I know our community is grieving, and our community has a right to be able to talk to us about it,” Adams said. “Everybody … should have a right to speak to us, especially now. And unfortunately, my concern is a delay will anger — will actually elevate the anger of — those who want to and need to use this opportunity to speak with us directly.”
Adams has faced criticism this week, including from some of her fellow councilmembers, for not signing a city statement condemning the attack as a “targeted, antisemitic” one, saying she wanted it described also as “anti-Zionist.”
In a tense exchange Thursday, Councilmember Mark Wallach called that a “pedantic distinction” and “simply grotesque.” Councilmember Tara Winer accused Adams of making the tragedy more about her own political views. And Councilmember Matt Benjamin said Adams had “peddled and egged on this very antisemitism that we are fighting.”
Adams responded that several community members had thanked her for making the distinction. She said it’s important for councilmembers to support “all of our Jewish community.”
“It is our responsibility as a city to let our community know all of the things, even when it’s painful, because it helps them to better protect themselves,” she said. She added that being set on fire is akin to lynching, and said that is something her ancestors experienced. “I’m acutely aware and very empathetic to the Jewish plight.”
The council has sought to balance First Amendment protections with its desire to maintain order in the council chambers. In recent months, they have enacted a series of measures, including banning large signs, temporarily moving meetings online and reducing the time allotted for councilmembers to respond to public comments. More recently, the city manager started suspending people who violate decorum.
Suspending public comment altogether had not been publicly discussed until now, a sign most councilmembers were not prepared to reopen a platform for divisive rhetoric just days after the attack. The motion, however, did not suspend open comment beyond this week’s meeting.
On June 4, prior to the council’s decision to cancel public comment, City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde had already prohibited in-person attendance at the meeting, citing strained police resources and heightened security concerns.
“I want to support the department’s request to minimize where we can any additional demands for services so that they may focus on events that we do not have control over,” Rivera-Vandermyde wrote in a Hotline post to the community. “And given current tensions in community, not having sufficient resources at our council meetings could pose an unnecessary safety risk for community members, council members and staff alike.”
The council also voted to postpone a scheduled public hearing on land-use regulations until June 12, another indication councilmembers felt the strain of the past week. Several have been attending public events, including one condemning antisemitism and a vigil for the victims, responding to media requests and processing the impact of the attack.
In another change to the agenda, councilmembers removed a planned reading of a Pride Month declaration at the request of Rocky Mountain Equality, according to a city official.
I don’t understand why City Attorney Tate and the mayor have not considered a relevancy requirement for open comment; excluding comments or public participation on issues outside of the cities domain.
Adam’s refusal to sign the statement is obvious political signaling to the far left, that she supports the elimination of Israel as a nation. Does she normally wear a green scarf to council meetings?
Sean, open comment is on any subject the constituent wants to address. Number 1 Amendment.
Relevancy requirements are unconstitutional. Any restrictions on public comment must be viewpoint-neutral.
Why do you insist on labeling the protesters as “pro-Palestinian”. They are obviously “anti-Israel” and most likely “pro-Hamas”. Even though they label themselves as “pro-Palestinian” if they were truly pro-Palestinian, they would be calling for the liberation of Gaza from control by Hamas and would be criticizing Hamas for hiding in civilian areas in direct violation of international law.
Taishya Adams’ attire during this council meeting is a despicable thumb in this community’s tired eyes. Just look: swaths of overly bright orange, green and black…the colors (with white) of the Palestinian flag. This clothing choice is literally salt on our Jewish community’s wounds. Why did no council member call Adams out about this deliberate provocation and political grandstanding? Why is this salient fact not explicated within this article, letting those who may not recognize the packaging Adams’ displayed understand its relevance…continued and extremely misplaced goading.
Black, green & red are the colors of the Black Liberation flag and she wears them proudly, as she should.
Well Bart, I’m Jewish and it didn’t repulse me. On the contrary. It is your agenda that puts Israel at risk. Thank goodness there are many who are coming around to love over hate. I am gratified by Taishya’s courage. Speak truth to power.
This is only going to get worse. Lynn, you called this out months ago and you were right. Terror coming home to roost. We need courage and honesty now not doubling down into positions of denial and disregard of the larger context. I doubt city council has the ability or mindset to manage that, though.
If the African Consulate to the UN were targeted in a hate crime, would Councilwoman Adams declare it as an Anti-African attack or would it be an act of racism. Although all Africans are black, not all blacks identify as African although it is an ancestry. All Zionists are Jewish not all Jews are Zionists and for her to assume so because they chose to participate in a peaceful protest is short-sighted.