News / Politics
Acorn members who confronted mayor could be banned from future meetings
Security measures are set to be beefed up at council meetings at City Hill in the new year.
It follows recent disturbances in the council chamber including Marvin Rees being confronted by protesters during a break in December’s full council meeting.
The mayor was confronted by Acorn members, who could now be stopped from attending future meetings.
is needed now More than ever
Rees was approached inside and outside the chamber by Acorn members angry that they were unable to ask questions about Barton House.
Tim O’Gara, the city council’s director of legal & democratic services, said that he will be “taking action against those individuals who were responsible for the disturbances at the Full Council meeting on 12 December, for example, by banning them from attending future Council meetings”.
Bristol24/7 has seen an email to councillors from O’Gara which says that the council “will take action to safeguard the health safety and wellbeing of councillors, officers and members of the public”.
Sent to councillors on Wednesday afternoon, O’Gara’s email says: “Following events at recent public meetings, it has been agreed with Party Group Leaders and the Lord Mayor that we will revise our arrangements for managing disturbances in public meetings.
“I am writing to provide you with further details of the new arrangements that will be in place with effect from the Full council meeting on 9 January 2024.
“Any member of the public that attends a public meeting will be required to sign in when they arrive at City Hall and will be issued with a visitor pass which they will need to display at all times.
“Bag searches will continue to be in place as they are now for large scale public meetings. We have agreed a revised approach for managing disruption as set out in the attached document. Please can you familiarise yourselves with the contents.
“Whilst the above measures will routinely be in place for Cabinet, Full Council and Development Control Committee meetings, we will continue to risk assess other meetings to determine what security measures need to be in place for any given meeting.
“The Council will take action to safeguard the health safety and wellbeing of councillors, officers and members of the public.
“This will include taking action against those individuals who were responsible for the disturbances at the Full Council meeting on 12 December, for example, by banning them from attending future Council meetings.
“The public will be advised of relevant information when we publish agendas for public meetings and the Council’s website will also be updated.”
Main photo: Rob Browne
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