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Denver City Council cancels meeting for ‘safety’ reasons in light of protests in chambers

The council's sudden decision comes one week after its meeting was stormed by protesters demanding police defunding and racial justice.

DENVER — The Denver City Council canceled its weekly legislative meeting, a spokeswoman from the council's main office confirmed on the phone early Monday afternoon. 

The council's sudden decision comes one week after its meeting was stormed by protesters demanding police defunding and racial justice.

During an operations meeting Monday, council members discussed how to prevent council chambers from being overrun again later that night to ensure that everyone, including protesters, were kept safe from violence and from the coronavirus. Last week, protesters packed the meeting room and did not abide by social distancing guidelines, although all wore masks.

In the meeting, which was filmed by Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca’s chief of staff Lisa Calderon, council members agreed that important city business needed to be carried out Monday night and that having sheriffs guard the doors of chambers could help ensure it got done.

RELATED: Protesters sit down with Denver mayor over homeless sweeps after being blocked from news conference

RELATED: Agreement reached over lawsuit to limit less-lethal force during protests

RELATED: How mental health advocates say defunding police would affect them

RELATED: Denver community members, 2 city council members call to defund DPD

RELATED: Calls to ‘defund police’ don’t necessarily mean abolishing departments

Read the full story at Colorado Politics.

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