Picketing outside the homes of Vancouver employees and elected officials is poised to become illegal, despite testimony from opponents who called the move unconstitutional.
On Monday, Vancouver City Council prohibited what it calls “targeted picketing or protesting.” The decision follows several recent protests — mainly against measures to quell COVID-19 — outside homes and schools in Clark County.
At least 50 people filled City Council chambers for a public hearing. While many who signed up to speak defended the tactics, councilors cruised to a unanimous passage.
“It’s incumbent upon us … to protect our staff members and to protect the public that we serve from this kind of speech,” Councilor Erik Paulsen said before the vote.
The move comes after multiple protests.
The most prominent case occurred July 2020 after Vancouver charged a pet groomer with violating Washington state’s stay-at-home orders during the pandemic’s first wave. Opponents of the orders, led by far-right group Patriot Prayer, responded by parading outside the homes of two city attorneys.
In September 2021, groups that included Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys, rallied outside the home of Superior Court Judge Suzan Clark after the judge banned “disruptive” anti-mask demonstrations on Vancouver School District property. One such protest put three schools into lockdown...
The National Board of Directors of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas (ULAA) hereby alerts the general public to a growing pattern of impersonation, misrepresentation, and the unau...