Each speaker at a City Council meeting now has three minutes - instead of two - to speak on each item they signed up to address because of a temporary restraining order granted Wednesday by Travis County District Judge Madeleine Connor.
Their presence shifted the proceedings as reporters, speakers, city staff and onlookers entered. The officers were not standing quietly in the back as usual, but telling people not to stand in the aisle for too long, questioning a reporter trying to take photos, policing water bottles and generally making their presence known.
"We do want to accommodate you and others who wish to take photos of speakers or the dais, but we also need to make sure photographers are not a distraction to council proceedings. We plan to meet with our security team soon to discuss how we can work more effectively with our media partners."
"Yes, there were a few more police officers present at the meeting due to the increasing numbers of protesters at City Hall. As for the water bottles, there is a 'NO FOOD OR DRINKS' sign posted at the entrance to the chamber, though it hasn't always been strictly enforced. Understanding that meetings can run long, we (the PIO team) are going to raise the possibility of a revision to that policy," the spokesperson continued.
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