City Hall·Bangor Special City Council Meeting Edited
Bangor Council passes hate speech resolve, censures Councilor Leonard
The Bangor City Council unanimously passed a resolve condemning hate speech and intolerance during public meetings. The council also voted 5-2 to censure Councilor Joseph Leonard for throwing a pen and making an obscene gesture at a previous meeting.
Key points
- Council unanimously passed Resolve 25-314, which condemns hate speech, racism, and intolerance in the community.
- Councilor Michael Beck moved to refer the resolve to the Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights, but the motion failed 2-5.
- The council voted 5-2 to pass Order 25-313, censuring Councilor Joseph Leonard for inappropriate conduct at the October 27 meeting.
- Councilors Beck and Mallar voted against the censure, arguing Leonard's reaction was a response to vile hate speech and that the council's priorities were misaligned.
- Public comment was divided, with some residents supporting the censure for maintaining decorum and others arguing it punished a necessary stand against white supremacist rhetoric.
- Councilor Leonard stated he would not apologize for standing up against Nazism and criticized the council for focusing on his gesture rather than the hate speech that provoked it.
Where this came from
City of Bangor YouTube
The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.
Watch the meeting ↗The summary and transcript were made by software from the public meeting video, with names checked against the official roster, then reviewed before publishing.