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City hall occupation sparks review of security
Eric McGuinness, The Hamilton SpectatorSecurity at city hall is being reviewed after Wednesday night's occupation of the council chamber.
Mayor Larry Di Ianni said yesterday, "We are going to be reviewing the security procedures and protocol at city hall to maintain security and safety.
"We understand this is a public building and we want it to be accessed by the public. But we want them to do it appropriately" and beef up security enough to prevent a repeat of Wednesday's occupation that forced council to suspend its meeting.
Five uniformed police officers stood watch as Hamilton council began a budget meeting yesterday morning, but they left when it became clear there would be no further disturbances.
Di Ianni said he and other council members were especially upset by the discovery of several softball-sized stones under a seat in the public gallery after the protesters had left. He also continued to attack all those who broke up the meeting and refused to leave for more than an hour.
"There is a police investigation going on to help us determine what might have caused the disturbance and who specifically might be held accountable."
He said he was worried about the safety of councillors, staff, protesters -- everyone -- Wednesday night as "a bunch of young, misguided individuals bared their bottoms and jumped up on the tables."
Di Ianni said he wasn't certain the rocks were brought in as potential weapons, but "they certainly added an element of danger and that is not acceptable anywhere, certainly not in the council chamber."
Shortly after the mayor was interviewed, a woman identifying herself as Diana King approached a Spectator reporter to say the stones had been used as paperweights at a "Take Back the City" rally outside City Hall before the meeting.
She said she had asked Councillor Andrea Horwath to assure council the rocks were not a threat.
The outdoor rally attracted several hundred people to hear such speakers as hereditary Chief Arnold General of the Six Nations, Steelworkers' local president Rolf Gerstenberger, councillors Horwath and David Braden, and McMaster University professors Jim Quinn and Robert Korol.
Participants then filled the public galleries, expecting to hear council debate the prospect of tolling the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and the new Red Hill Creek Expressway, an item that was tabled.
Witnesses reported dozens of people, including some recognizable Red Hill protesters, descended onto the council floor and sat in councillors' chairs, demanding a greater say in the budget and an end to expressway construction.
They danced, pounded drums and made speeches, ignoring pleas to leave by the mayor and councillors. Police arrived in force after about 20 minutes and removed several protesters, before the rest were led out by Roger Laforme, a native anti-expressway activist. No one was charged.
Don McLean, chair of Friends of the Red Hill Valley, said yesterday he was told shortly before the disruption that someone planned to go onto the floor of the council chambers, and he advised against it.
"I don't think (the disruption) accomplished anything," he said, although he doesn't believe it hurt the cause of mainstream activists. McLean said he understands the frustration felt by the group of about 25 protestors, who he believes feel left out of the democratic process. He said the city has to do a better job of listening to the public and making the decision making process transparent. "We're dangerously close to dividing the community in a fashion that's going to take a lot of effort to undo."
Braden, an expressway opponent, said he was pleased police showed restraint. Of the protesters, he said, "I could have done worse things as a kid than have stones in my pocket."
Councillor Dave Mitchell was much less sympathetic, saying: "I wasn't scared at the time, but then we found rocks in the council chamber. Can you imagine people throwing rocks in the council chamber? That's barbaric."
Councillor Bernie Morelli, a member of the police services board, was more relaxed, saying, "Maybe they were pet rocks." But he hoped citizens would respect the democratic process. Morelli added with a laugh, "I heard we beat the TV ratings for hockey in Hamilton last night."