Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Residents urge council to drop charges and repeal First Amendment demonstration ordinance
Summary
During the citizens participation period at the Feb. 11 Charleston City Council meeting, multiple residents and organizers called on the council to drop charges against the "Charleston 7" and repeal the city's First Amendment demonstration ordinance, which speakers described as unconstitutional and used to criminalize peaceful protest.
Dozens of residents pressed the Charleston City Council during the Feb. 11 citizens participation period to drop criminal charges against seven people arrested at recent protests and to repeal the city's First Amendment demonstration ordinance.
The most direct appeals came from demonstrators and attorneys who said the ordinance has been used to criminalize peaceful expression. "Protesting is not a crime," said Matt Colburn, a member of the public who identified himself during his one-minute comment. "Stop the charge," he added, referring to the cases against the "Charleston 7."
Kareem Adelakonja, who identified himself as one of the Charleston 7, told council that he was arrested at a January protest and asked that charges be dropped. "We demand that the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
