Laguna Beach officials on Tuesday ended a city council meeting early after a handful of speakers unleashed antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic and racist tirades over Zoom during a public comment period.
The incident appears to be an example of ” Zoombombing ,” an unfortunate trend that began when the pandemic forced public meetings to move online, allowing speakers to make comments from remote sites.
The meeting, where leaders were considering recognizing February as Black History Month and conducting other business, like appointing community members to committees, was peppered with profanity-laced comments about Latinos, members of the LGBTQ+ community and Black and Jewish people. Tuesday’s meeting was mostly in-person, but included an option for the public to tune in and comment via Zoom.
After two hours, and roughly a dozen public speakers, Mayor Sue Kempf decided to adjourn the meeting and move it to another date.
“Our community’s dedication to civic engagement is commendable, and we are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment. Together, we will continue to uphold our values of inclusivity, respect, and integrity,” Kempf wrote in a statement.