An elected official organized a demonstration outside the legislature, stirring the crowd into a frenzy. The official then urged the crowd to enter the chamber and act illegally. When the unruly group did so, they disrupted the body until it was forced to adjourn. The elected official cheered on and engaged in this lawlessness. Lawmakers left the session under police escort due to safety concerns.
Sound familiar? Probably. But the above isn’t a description of January 6, 2021, when former President Donald Trump addressed and agitated a crowd that went on to storm the U.S. Capitol based on the notion that the 2020 elections were stolen. Instead, these are events local to Worcester, Mass. In Trump’s place were city council members Thu Nguyen and Etel Haxhiaj, his mirror image. Like him, these city councilors used a crowd to force a resolution they champion.
On Oct. 22, after a demonstration inside City Hall that was promoted by Nguyen and Haxhiaj, protesters pushed their way into the council chambers to speak in support of a one-sided resolution targeting Israel. However, the resolution was not on the council agenda. Massachusetts public meeting law limits discussion, including public comments, to agenda items only.
Organizers from a group of activists working under the name “Worcester Multi-faith Coalition for a Ceasefire Resolution” had attempted to put the ceasefire resolution on the agenda, but were rebuffed. Prior to the resolution’s submission, the council and much of the public had urged a closer following of a council rule banning items that do not relate to the city from the council agenda. Specifically, the rule disallows “…matters not within the general supervision and/or relating to city government…” After receiving the petition, the City Clerk Niko Vangjeli determined its subject matter did not fall under the city’s purview.
Beginning of the disruptions
At the start of the meeting, during the time allotted for public testimony, a woman who identified herself only as Orla stated that she wanted to speak on agenda item 9N, regarding qualifications for employment by the city. After Mayor Joseph Petty ruled her out of order for instead speaking on the ceasefire resolution, the crowd of about 200 people began chanting, jeering, and yelling.
Nguyen then made a motion to suspend the rules to allow the protesters to speak. The motion was defeated 6-5, as the crowd chanted “shame” and “let her speak.”
Because the item was not on the agenda, it is unclear whether a vote to allow discussion would even be legal. A key reason the mandates adherence to the agenda is so that people know when to show up.
After Orla was disallowed from speaking, the meeting began to unravel. Protesters chanted “shame” and other slogans, seizing control of the room. The council voted 7-4 to adjourn the meeting temporarily.
City business disrupted
Adjournment due to disruption is rare. Worcester city council meetings are normally staid events, with public speakers respectfully, if sometimes heatedly, addressing the council. This time, however, protesters wearing keffiyehs held up signs saying “genocide” and Palestinian flags, yelled, and chanted. At least one went so far as to use a bullhorn.
Because of the disorder, the city council’s scheduled business was brushed to the side. A young man waiting to speak was never able to address the council. He wanted to speak to an agenda item he requested, which asked the city to put speed bumps on a street where cars travel too fast, endangering neighborhood children.
While the rest of the council left the chamber, hoping order could be restored, Nguyen and Haxhiaj made sure it wasn’t. The two council members stayed in the chamber, further energizing the crowd. Nguyen, wearing a red and white keffiyeh, pumped their fist in the air, leading chants, while Haxhiaj clapped along to chants that were so loud the could be heard outside of City Hall.
The rest of the council returned about 20 minutes later, but the crowd, egged on by the council members who stayed, was even more agitated. Petty tried to reason with the protesters, but to no avail. “Nobody likes what’s going on in the Middle East and the loss of life,” Petty said, before he was cut off by hecklers
“Can I finish?” he asked.
Protesters had chance to speak at next meeting
It appears that much of the disruption was intentional, possibly a show of force. The organizers apparently knew that, had they followed the rules, they could have made their case at the next meeting. City Clerk Vangjeli said that he gave the protesters the opportunity to present a new ceasefire resolution then.
Vangjeli had been in a difficult situation regarding the resolution. He previously allowed a citizen petition that would require elected officials to show proof of citizenship onto the Oct. 15 agenda. While that resolution was unanimously defeated, Vangjeli was widely criticized for allowing it on the agenda. He did so because he viewed it as a request for a change to the city charter and therefore admissible.
The controversy around the Oct. 15 resolution was the reason that the council directed Vangjeli to be stricter in adhering to the rule limiting items only to matters over which the council has authority. When he rejected the ceasefire resolution, he suggested to the organizers that they rewrite the resolution to request a suspension of the rules for the next meeting. Even if the council rejected that suspension, the request would have been on the agenda, meaning the protesters could have made their case.
“The clerk gave an option to the organizers on how to put this on the calendar for the next meeting,” the mayor pleaded as the crowd allied to Haxhiaj and Nguyen continued yelling and chanting.
Haxhiaj, Nguyen, and the rest of the multi-faith coalition were not mollified.
Whole meeting derailed
“It’s become obvious that we’re not going to be able to do any work this evening,” District 3 council member George Russell said and motioned for adjournment. When Russell made a statement opposing the resolution, Petty, trying to maintain a fair and neutral approach, deemed his remarks out of order.
Nguyen then asked to be recognized to speak. Petty responded that they could speak on the proposed adjournment but that Nguyen must respect open meeting law and refrain from speaking on an item that was not on the agenda.
Nguyen threatens “repercussions”
Nguyen immediately broke the rule and, like Trump on Jan. 6, justified doing so with accusations of a conspiracy. Instead of denying election results, however, Nguyen said, “We cannot continue business as usual during a genocide…a genocide for everyone in Gaza. I do not believe that this ruling was correct in silencing our folks here, and so as we talk about our adjournment, we have to talk about the silencing of our constituents who are all demanding a ceasefire.” Petty spoke to rule the comment out of order, but Nguyen cut him off, saying, “I trust that you will not silence me as well.”
In response, Nguyen threatened vague “repercussions” for “silencing our folks” and referred to “shady selective bias” of “this government and administration.” Nguyen went on to accuse, apparently, Petty or the city of “white supremacy and imperialism.” Petty eventually did rule Nguyen out of order when they began to read a statement by a “constituent” on Gaza.
The council voted 7-4 to adjourn. Even after the meeting ended, the protesters continued chanting. At least one city councilor received threatening messages stating, “Every city Councilor has names and addresses. AND WE KNOW THEM.” (see photo)
Most council members vacated under police escort, aware that mobs – whether progressive or MAGA – are dangerous.
