Public commenter blames aldermanic protesters for disrupting Paramount show, says it will deter future acts

In public comment Rick Lawrence criticized people who protested outside and disrupted a Jan. 18 Jerry Seinfeld performance at the Paramount, and named elected officials he said took part.

"On January 18, Jerry Seinfeld came to the Paramount ... we had a bunch of idiots, wing nuts, on the sidewalk yelling at people trying to attend this event," Lawrence said. He accused Alderman Larson and others of going inside and disrupting the performance and said those actions harm local businesses and the Paramount’s future prospects.

Lawrence framed his remarks around economic consequences and called the protests "destroying the businesses that they're funding," saying the Paramount brings millions in taxpayer‑supported activity to Aurora. He said the protests would make agents and performers less likely to bring acts to the city.

The comment period did not include a response from the named alderman(s) in the public portion of the transcript.