Iowa City Officials Call Special Meeting In Support Of Black Lives Matter Movement

From the City of Iowa City:

Monday, June 08, 2020

Since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Iowa City’s police department, mayor, and city councilors have received hundreds of messages calling for systemic reform.

On Wednesday, peaceful protesters in Iowa City were met with gas and flash-bang devices, which Mayor Bruce Teague condemned.

On Friday, June 5, Iowa City and the University of Iowa issued a joint statement regarding policing policy. As a starting point, Mayor Bruce Teague has announced his commitment to President Barack Obama’s Police Use of Force Project, and a full review of campaigns like #8CantWait to inform police reform.

On Saturday, June 6, the mayor and full city council joined with protesters at the Pentacrest to hear a list of demands from a group called the Iowa Freedom Riders.

On Sunday, June 7, the Iowa City Police Department arrested one of the protest organizers, Mazin Mohamedali.

“Right now, people are demanding answers,” said Mayor Teague. “They are demanding change. We need to take a moment for the policy makers to gather and listen and get to work. We are committed to following through on this work, because Black lives matter. The city council’s work will happen in public, and it may be messy at times. We invite everyone to this process.”

Mayor Bruce Teague has called a special meeting of the Iowa City City Council for Tuesday, June 9, at 2:00 p.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom and be live-streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and City Channel 4's website.

This press release was produced by the City of Iowa City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.