DES MOINES, Iowa — Monday’s (July 19th) Des Moines City Council meeting resulted in arrests after protesters disrupted proceedings. It is the third Des Moines City Council meeting in a row to be disrupted by protests. According to KCCI, tensions ramped up after council members voted 4-2 not to allow public comment on items on the consent agenda, some of which were police-related, later voting unanimously to pass the consent agenda.

One of the consent agenda items regarded grant funding for police de-escalation training. Others included grants for police equipment and the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, as well as funding for public safety dispatch software updates. There were at least four arrests after groups began protesting with signs calling to defund the Des Moines Police Department. The arrests began after Mayor Frank Cownie ordered a protester, standing on a chair, to sit down and later leave. The protester remained standing and did not leave.

A previous city council meeting resulted in one arrest. Monday’s meeting resumed after the arrest with discussions on items not related to police. During the public comment section, a number of supporters of law enforcement spoke up as part of a “Back the Blue” group. Others spoke in support of protest groups.