Protest of police conduct at Trump rally upends Phoenix council meeting

About 200 people commandeered Wednesday's Phoenix City Council meeting to rail against city leaders and vent frustration over the Phoenix Police Department's crowd-control tactics during President Donald Trump's Aug. 22 downtown rally.

The individuals came to the meeting to criticize an independent investigation of the police action, which ultimately was canceled Wednesday night. But many in attendance also took the opportunity to lambaste the Police Department and the council's lack of action.

Thousands descended on downtown last week to hear Trump speak inside the Phoenix Convention Center. Thousands more protested outside.

Although protests were largely peaceful, the night ended with Phoenix police deploying teargas, pepper balls and foam projectiles.

Shouting and heckling

The crowd that took over the council chambers Wednesday was raucous and visibly frustrated. One group of young women wore shirts stating, "I was tear-gassed for exercising my right to peacefully assemble."

When council members tried to restore order and turned off the public microphone, members of the crowd began yelling their comments. 

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton at one point recessed the meeting. One man called out, "You're a chicken, Stanton," while others chanted a loud refrain of "Shame on you."

Minutes later, the mayor came back and allowed the protesters to keep airing their comments to the council.

Redeem Robinson called Stanton cowardly for walking away from the public when they began criticizing the city. "Mayor Stanton and members of the council, don't you ever, as long as you're elected officials, run from the people when we hold you accountable.

"The crazy thing about this is, the whole time we were worried about white supremacists and Nazis harming us, but it was Phoenix police that attacked us," Robinson said.

The crowd would not allow the council to call them to speak in order of comment cards, as is typical at public meetings. Several people said they did not think they would have the opportunity to share their views unless they took control of the podium. 

A few Trump supporters — one sporting a "Back the Blue" T-shirt — spoke at the meeting, but they were interrupted by the large majority of people who held the opposite political ideology.

Most of the speakers shared similar experiences from Tuesday night's rallies: They were peacefully protesting and, within moments, found themselves in a cloud of gas. The use of force was unexpected and unnecessary, they said.

Ira Yedlin, 70, told the council he had never seen a police response like the one he witnessed in Phoenix.

Yedlin, who came from Bisbee to protest Trump, said he had to stop in the emergency room in Sierra Vista because of his wounds from the rally. While there, he saw Stanton on television saying that everyone went home safe.

MORE: Police used foam projectiles at anti-Trump protest

"That was not the case, and heads need to roll over what happened to those of us who were non-violently protesting," Yedlin said.

Yedlin was one of many who critiqued the mayor's after-rally speech.

Call for a new investigator

Although many of the protesters have been asking for an independent investigation since last week's rally, they said they believed that the one suggested by the city would not be "truly independent."

The city recommended the California-based firm OIR Group. Protesters accused the group of being too cozy with Police Chief Jeri Williams. 

Heather Hamel told the council the "so-called independent investigation" would be a "$50,000 delaying tactic." According to city documents, the review could cost the city up to $45,000.

"We don't need an investigation to know what happened. We don't need an investigation to know that the police department's use of force was excessive," she said.

Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher, who recommended the review earlier this week, withdrew his recommendation late Wednesday after more than five hours of public input.

Zuercher said the police department would continue its internal after-action review of the event, as is standard protocol.

Stanton appeared to be the only member of the council who would have supported the review following the public testimony. He said he thought an outside review would have allowed the police department to learn and become stronger.  

Councilman Michael Nowakowski, who previously said he would support the independent review, changed his view after he heard from residents.

"How can we have an evaluation process without including individuals from the community?" Nowakowski said. "This is very enlightening, all of this information that we're receiving from the community."

Council members agreed the review would not appease any segment of the community. Trump supporters thought it was an attack on police. Protesters thought it would not be truly independent. 

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Councilmen Jim Waring and Sal DiCiccio scolded some of the speakers for their comments about police. 

"I was horrified at the type of comments I heard about our police officers," DiCiccio said.

Vice Mayor Laura Pastor said she could see and hear that the city — including police officers — is hurting.

"We don't need an investigation. What we really need is community trust," she said.

Arrian Wissel was one of several residents who asked the council to instate a public-oversight committee to review excessive-force issues like this. She said spending $50,000 on an outside firm would not be useful to thoroughly reform the department.

Many residents also questioned why police officers have access to chemicals for crowd dispersal.

"When you militarize our police force, there is no one for them to go to war with except their own citizens," Chrystal Lutton said.

Janey Pearl Starks said she attended de-escalation training the day before the rallies and her protest group felt safe because "we knew the police were there."

Starks said she did get a warning from police officers. One told her to get out of the area, but when she turned around to get the volunteers she was with, "That's when the gas happened."

Raquel Denis said she "was terrified, not just for myself but for the youth that were there with me to exercise their right. ... I am sick and tired of institutions that perpetuate and promote trauma." 

Republic reporter Adrian Marsh contributed to this article.

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