‘Virtual terrorists’ spew hate speech at Fresno meetings. Here’s what the council’s doing
The Fresno City Council is trying to stay ahead of what one member called “virtual terrorists” who spew hate speech from their home computers.
The council has been meeting through online networking service Zoom for several weeks, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
While that format allows for more people to participate than can fit in the City Hall chambers, it also allows for greater anonymity for people to be disruptive.
During at least three meetings this week and last, some people on the Zoom call shared pornographic videos, while others shouted racist and homophobic slurs.
The council has endured the foul language and dealt with it when they can. Councilmember Nelson Esparza, who used the term “virtual terrorists,” said he’s dealt with overt and covert racism all of his life so the language isn’t as shocking as it might be for others.
“It’s still hurtful to hear that but I think we have a duty for the people who are legitimately engaged to participate,” he said.
“Take a look at the people who were there,” he said. “A lot of them were African-Americans and allies there to speak up for Black Lives Matter and speak up for police reform. By shutting it down, we would silence all those voices.”
Budget hearings in the past 10 days have drawn comments from people asking for a re-imagining of the police force following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Early on during the budget meetings, members of the Proud Boys shared video of a Confederate flag, according to officials. Then came pornography, but the council has since taken control over who could stream video into the meeting.
The latest examples come during the public comment, when anyone is free to share their opinions. The typical disruption comes when the Zoom caller appears to be expressing a genuine opinion and then starts using racial epithets and homophobic slurs, before advocating violence on people of color.
Councilmember Garry Bredefeld has said the callers are “cowards” on at least two occasions during the meetings.
Councilmember Esmeralda Soria said she was upset by the “very hurtful” language that sometimes was even directly aimed at her. During the Zoom meetings, Soria had a Pride flag in the background because June is Pride month, and some of the homophobic language was directed at her.
The council has forwarded the Internet Protocol, or IP, addresses from the callers to Fresno Police Department to look into potential crimes. Some people who sign into the meeting may have also had to enter an email address, according to city staffers.
“I hope if we’re able to track those individuals that they get the punishment they deserve,” Soria said. “It’s clear there are race issues impacting our community. We’re at that breaking point.”
Soria said public input is vital to democracy so the ability to make comments on Zoom is good for engaging the community.
Council disruptions are nothing new, Councilmember Miguel Arias said. People are removed from the council chambers on occasion, but Zoom has amplified those disruptions.
“That does not take away from the huge gains and advantages we see,” he said. “We’ve had 400 people in a meeting, where in the past we’d average about 10.”
Arias said the overwhelming majority of people attending the meeting on Zoom are sincere and engaged with the issues at hand.
Other governing boards have gone away from the streaming pubic comment. Fresno Unified School District and Fresno County Board of Supervisors require comments be submitted in writing. The county board also allows comments in person, but the chamber has restrictions on how many can be inside at the same time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arias said it’s important to have live comments because the agenda and documents that are public before the meeting have no context.
“It’s very difficult for people to comment before they see a presentation from staff,” he said.
The Fresno City Council is set to go back into meetings at City Hall on June 25. Arias said some safety and other upgrades are being put in place in the meantime, but people will still be able to comment through Zoom or some other service the council settles on.
Fresno Police Sgt. Jeff La Blue confirmed police are looking into potential crimes.
Esparza said he feels the worst for residents waiting to comment who have to hear the hateful speech, but said the disruptions come with their own lesson.
“It should be eye-opening for those people who think we don’t have a race issue in America,” Esparza said.
