The Sacramento Police Department said they arrested 12 protesters at a city council meeting on Tuesday, accusing them of “unlawful assembly and failing to disperse.”
The protesters were trying to pressure the Sacramento City Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, KCRA 3 reported. (RELATED: RFK Jr. Comes Out Against Gaza Ceasefire)
The council passed the resolution in a 6-1 vote at midnight after several recesses from the heated discussion and unwelcome interruptions by protesters, the outlet noted.
The approved resolution called for an “immediate and permanent bilateral” ceasefire as well as the release of all hostages in the Gaza Strip, new leadership in Israel and in Palestine, the uninterrupted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel “without charges or trial,” KCRA reported.
Video tweeted by KCRA reporter Lee Anee Denyer showed the protesters chanting “no more normalization [of Israel], we want total liberation [of Palestine]” and other slogans.
Roughly twenty minutes after council cleared, chamber is still full. Here’s what we’re seeing at #Sacramento city hall. @kcranews pic.twitter.com/OjTgpZPHCR
— KCRA Lee Anne Denyer (@KCRALeeAnne) March 20, 2024
Sacramento police claimed in a tweet that despite “numerous warnings about the disruptions,” 12 protesters remained and “were arrested for unlawful assembly and failing to disperse and were booked at the Sacramento County Jail.”
“The Sacramento Police Department reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rights of individuals to peacefully assemble and express their opinion, while also maintaining public order and the safety of our community,” the police statement read.
The Sacramento Police Department provided police resources for the city council meeting on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Due to an anticipated larger than normal attendance, additional officers were assigned to the meeting to ensure the safety for all members of our community and… pic.twitter.com/SO5MSwcVKe
— Sacramento Police Department (@SacPolice) March 20, 2024
Lisa Kaplan was the only member of the council to vote against the resolution, according to CBS News.
“It is best when we stand together as leaders in Sacramento and focus on issues that we can control and not on conflict in the Middle East for which this resolution will have no impact,” Kaplan said, the outlet noted.
Other council members disagreed.
“I think everyone’s here with the common understanding that every human is entitled to peace, dignity and freedom, and they’re vocalizing it as such,” said Scott Anglim, a council member who voted to approve the resolution, the outlet noted.