At recent hearings on the mask ordinance, the conservative pro-freedom, anti-mask-ordinance crowd has been in control and Chairwoman Suzanne LaFrance has lost control.
The public has hollered, testified, sang the National Anthem, and shouted “USA, USA!”
All that could change on Tuesday night, Oct. 12, with the arrival of organized allied socialist groups intent on protesting what they call “Hate.”
They support the mask ordinance and the leftist Assembly’s attempt to take power from the mayor.
The convergence of these two groups — the Old Glory flag wavers and the socialists — could be incendiary and may lead to an unruly and unsafe situation at the Loussac Library, where the Assembly meets at 5 pm.
The socialist alliance plans to arrive at 4:30 pm in advance of the meeting. Social media shows that Indivisible is working to coordinate the confrontation:
“The Party for Socialism and Liberation Anchorage, Alaska Poor People’s Campaign, S’Up Alaska, Alaska Coalition of BIPOC Educators, The Alaska Center, Black Lives Matter Alaska, CannaCo and Sol de Medianoche are coming together to protest for an improvement to our democratic process and against the increased presence of a racist, anti-semitic, homophobic, and reactionary mob at the Assembly meetings this Tuesday October 12th, from 4:30-7:30pm,” the Indivisible Anchorage group wrote. The national Indivisible group describes itself as, “a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.”
Hundreds of conservatives who have attended night after night to protest AO 2021-91 may intend to also attend the meeting but find the chambers already filled to capacity with the socialist protesters who are labeling them as “hate.”
In reality, the hearing is not on the agenda for tonight, but the Assembly is considering taking action on AO 2021-91 under an “emergency” provision it has available to it in the municipal charter. The Assembly, without having notified the public, appears intent on passing this ordinance, and no amount of public participation will stop them, according to those close to the matter.
This morning, activists who oppose the mask ordinance began telling their fellow activists to “stand down” and not attend the Assembly meeting tonight. That’s because the socialist side has the support of the majority on the Assembly.
Neither the mayor nor city manager will be attending the meeting in person due to Covid exposure. Assemblywomen Jamie Allard and Crystal Kennedy are among those quarantining.
The pro-ordinance group has asked that its participants wear masks tonight to the meeting. Actually, they have not asked, but stated in their flyers that for their participants, “masks required.”