Two people removed from Boston city council meeting by police

On Wednesday, two people were led out by police from the Boston City Council chamber following outbursts from both while Councilor Ricardo Arroyo gave an overview of a proposal to limit when demonstrators are allowed to protest outside residences.

Council President Ed Flynn ordered that the pair be removed after each person interrupted separately. Flynn had previously warned at the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting that any interruptions would not be tolerated.

The disruption came as Arroyo, the chair of the council’s Committee on Government Operations, updated his colleagues on where officials stand in the process of reviewing Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposal to limit when protests are allowed to take place in residential areas.

If passed, the law would ban protests outside individual, specifically-targeted homes overnight and in the early hours of the morning between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.

The legislation would be applied to any home, not just those belonging to elected officials, and it additionally would not impact marches or demonstrations that are progressing through a particular area.

Wu introduced the law as protestors descended on her home in Roslindale since January, pushing back against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate Wu has sought to impose for all city employees. The protests have begun as early as 7 a.m. with drums and whistles, which Wu and others say unfairly impact the surrounding neighborhood. 

Shortly after Arroyo gave remarks in support of the measure, a woman interrupted the next speaker, saying that demonstrations are “a constitutional right.” She continued, “This shouldn’t even be heard. This is unconstitutional.”

Following a short recess, during which the woman was escorted out of the meeting, Arroyo continued speaking before again being interrupted. “This is not American,” shouted the man who spoke up from the crowd. The man was eventually escorted out as well.