‘Sick of these cowards’: Racism at council meeting sparks calls to curb virtual speech
Racist speech has crept into the public-comment portion of recent Tacoma City Council meetings. This week was no exception.
Tensions were high Tuesday evening as remote speakers disrupted proceedings with racial slurs. Now the council is facing calls to tighten the rules for virtual comment.
Turns out that isn’t easily accomplished as constitutional protections on free speech come into play.
Tuesday’s meeting illustrated that conflict.
One person commenting virtually seemed like he could be legitimate but soon veered off course, saying there should be “less (N-words) on council.”
Deputy Mayor John Hines, who led the meeting, interjected while at least one in-person attendee shouted, “Boo!”
The next remote speaker deployed the same racist slur, prompting Hines to issue a reminder to stay on topic and be respectful.
“Turn it off!” some people in the room demanded.
Hines told attendees that the city offers a venue for free expression under the First Amendment. Two warnings are issued before a troll’s time is cut off. He apologized for what people witnessed but said council members are obligated to hear views that they might not like.
The deputy mayor added that those who didn’t want to listen were free to go.
“Bye!” someone said. “I’ve got better things to do with my night.”
“You would subject your other council members to this?” another person asked.
A flustered Hines again attempted to correct course before calling for a five-minute recess. The meeting ended shortly after council members returned.
Part of a broader trend
Tacoma isn’t an anomaly. Other local governments across Pierce County have been bombarded with racist comments and disruption during online public comment sessions, The News Tribune previously reported.
Council-meeting hijackers are also part of a broader U.S. trend, according to the Washington-based nonprofit Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC). They often use fake names and don’t turn on their computers’ cameras.
Other cities that have experienced this phenomenon include San Diego, San Francisco and Eugene, Oregon.
Calls mount to limit virtual comments
Some people are urging the council to add restrictions to virtual remarks. One social-media user commented on the city’s live-streamed video of Tuesday’s meeting that “[h]ate speech is not allowed.”
“I’m so sick of these cowards joining virtual public comment solely to disrupt and traumatize and use racial slurs,” another Facebook user wrote in part. “City of Tacoma Government may want to consider revised public comment rules for those participating virtually, including requiring cameras to be on.”
The News Tribune asked the city whether it intends to mull adjustments to virtual comment.
City spokesperson Maria Lee sent a statement Wednesday stating that Tacoma’s government “deeply regrets” the weaponization of its public forums, and that there is no room for hate in the community. The statement cited a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision that reaffirmed that the First Amendment does not feature an exception for hate speech.
“While we have to manage our forums in a manner that is consistent with this ruling and First Amendment principles, we want to be absolutely clear that the City of Tacoma condemns hateful and insensitive comments in its public forums and other platforms, and asks all participants to practice kindness and respect for others,” Lee’s statement continued.
Local governments generally have three options to stave off hate speech: ending virtual comments entirely, requiring that remarks stay relevant to agenda topics, and verifying a remote participant’s identity, according to MRSC. It would be tricky to ban hate speech outright because of the Constitution’s broad free-expression protections.
Under Washington law, people can ask to comment remotely when it’s too difficult to attend a meeting in person, per MRSC —although local governments could theoretically request details to confirm the petitioner’s identity.
Pressed on whether Tacoma officials plan to tweak the virtual-comment rules, Lee replied that the city is monitoring what other governments are doing and aware of the options laid out by MRSC.
“We’re continuing to explore ways that we can manage our forums in a manner that is consistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling and First Amendment principles,” she said.
This story was originally published June 13, 2024 at 9:00 AM.
