Latest news with #ofOrder
IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Violence erupts at Cape Town council meeting as GOOD party demands Speaker's resignation
In a shocking display of chaos and aggression, a City of Cape Town council meeting degenerated into violence on Wednesday, resulting in one councillor being choked on the ground amid a skirmish. Graphic video footage, provided to IOL, captured the tense moment where a man lay defenseless while being restrained by another individual, prompting intervention from onlookers who attempted to separate the brawling parties. The incident has ignited a significant political backlash, with the GOOD party calling for the immediate resignation of Cape Town Speaker Felicity Purchase and accusing her of being biased. "Her continued presence in that role has now resulted in a grievous assault on a public representative, all because he dared to ask a question. Her actions, inactions and biases have resulted in violence and thuggery that have endangered lives," said Samantha Jackson, media manager for the GOOD party. Jackson condemned the Speaker's failure to uphold the rules of order during the council's oral question period that followed the Mayor's address. According to her, Purchase unlawfully permitted a point of order that set off the subsequent upheaval, breaching the council's own stipulated regulations. "Today's scenes in council were unfortunate, but not unexpected. Once again, the Speaker of the City of Cape Town has failed in her duty to apply the rules of order fairly and consistently. During the oral question period following the Mayor's address, a session clearly regulated by Rule 11.2 of the Council's own Rules of Order, the Speaker unlawfully allowed a point of order. That decision alone broke the very rules we are all expected to uphold and set in motion the chaos that followed," said Jackson.
Calgary Herald
01-06-2025
- Calgary Herald
'Different feel': Edmonton police open houses offer casual way to talk crime
Article content For Edmontonians daunted by the prospects of Downtown parking and Robert's Rules of Order and formal agendas, there was a new and casual local way to take in the 2024 annual report of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). Article content Article content Article content Article content 'It's such an interesting take on what we normally do through town halls,' said LaForce. Article content Article content 'Some are very big on traffic safety, some on neighborhood policing concepts. Some on like, how do I protect myself for financial crime? We actually had several people wanting to join and become a recruit.' Article content In the pre-COVID era, a big police town hall event drew hundreds, assembly-style, often to listen on a specific topic, he said. Article content 'This is just a very different feel, because you're able to deal with so many questions that are unique to those people, those personal interests, all at once.' Article content 'A presence' Article content The West Edmonton Business Association has been vocal about concern with crime in the 149 Street area— property damage and general social disorder — so a west end open house gave him a forum to get some answers for the organization, said Basil Kirby, the group's director of advocacy. Article content Article content 'We thought we could just see what was being done, what programs were ongoing,' he said. Article content Article content Some of the figures in the 2024 annual report released in pamphlet form at the open houses were a surprise to Kirby, who learned nearly a million emergency calls were made in Edmonton last year, and police were physically dispatched almost 200,000 times a year. Article content 'They identify where the illegal activities are, and they'll send units out to that area to just patrol, just be a presence, and they know that that will reduce crime for a minimum of four hours,' he said, adding that those concerned that the police don't seem to come out for each call will be relieved to learn about EPS 'virtual policing,' where crime assessments are triaged virtually, weighed and responded to accordingly.
