Doron Loewenberg
PITTSBURGH, PA (PTTP) – Pittsburgh residents, like other Americans, have been voicing their complaints about the President during city council meetings. Similarly to high profile incidents in Idaho and California, attendees at Tuesday, February 25th’s Pittsburgh city council meeting took shots at President Trump, the MAGA movement, and local politicians over their support of Republican led legislative efforts.
None of the city councilmembers responded to the public’s comments which, as councilman Bobby Wilson later explained, is standard procedure. This is because, according to Wilson, “It’s harder to address people who are fighting a political movement. That’s beyond local government.” Wilson later explained that if a citizen’s request or issue is at the city or district level, he and the other councilmembers would be more able to help. As far as national level issues, however, city council has little ability to affect current events.
While the citizens comments at Tuesday’s meeting remained civil, other parts of America have seen high profile and even violent interruptions at local government meetings. A Huntington Beach, CA city council meeting on February 20th was briefly halted when former NFL punter Chris Kluwe protested against a planned library plaque that contained the “MAGA” acronym. After explaining his opposition to the plaque Kluwe approached the councilmembers, was tackled and handcuffed by security, and was put in jail for four hours before bailing himself out.
A more violent protest occurred on February 22nd in Kootenai County, Idaho. A legislative town hall run by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) became chaotic after former Idaho House of Representatives candidate Dr. Teresa Borrenpohl was dragged out of the meeting by private security operatives hired by KCRCC for the event. Borrenphohl had been heckling Republican legislators onstage throughout the meeting, and after she refused Kootenai County Sherriff Bob Norris’ request to leave, she was pulled from her seat, wrestled to the ground, and dragged out of the venue. Borrenpohl has since raised over $250,000 to cover her legal fees, and LEAR Asset Management, the security firm hired by the KCRCC, has since lost its business license in Kootenai County.
Both Kluwe and Borrenpohl’s cases are ongoing, as are protests against the President and the MAGA movement in general.