Public commenters allege harassment at protests; commissioner responds

Several members of the public used the commission's general comment period to raise concerns about protests and community safety.

Alan Miller said he witnessed confrontational behavior at a recent gathering near the Hillel house and challenged protesters' use of symbols and tactics, saying the presence of signs and loud calls amounted to conflict rather than peaceful expression.

David Badia alleged that the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) celebrated the Oct. 7 violence and accused local protesters of targeting Jews. He also named local individuals he said were present at demonstrations and described the group as an extremist organization.

A commissioner who was mentioned in public comment disputed the characterization. That commissioner said the event he attended was billed as an anti-war protest and included people from across the political spectrum, and asked that volunteers and commissioners not be portrayed unfairly on public record: "The protest I went to was billed as an anti-war protest. It's very different," the commissioner said.

Another public commenter, Alan Hersch, urged the commission to lower tensions and distributed material on Zionism to provide context for the community discussion.

The commission did not take action on the allegations. Commissioners and staff later discussed whether the commission should create or restore mechanisms for people to raise discrimination concerns outside general public comment and how to provide recourse for those who feel misrepresented.