Des Moines City Council holds 14-hour meeting discussing police budget
The Des Moines City Council held its longest meeting on record this week by continuing the session for two days.
The meeting lasted three hours Monday and then carried over to an 11-hour marathon Wednesday making the meeting a total of 14 hours.
Dozens of people spoke during the virtual meeting concerned about the $99,000 in funding for ammunition for police training.
A small number of participants on the Zoom meeting shouted, swore and insulted council members and Mayor Frank Cownie.
"Unfortunately, people making racist and vulgar remarks, we tried to cut it off quickly," said Connie Boesen, a council member.
Des Moines Black Lives Matter organizer Jaylen Cavil said his members talked at length on every agenda item as part of a planned filibuster to force the council to pay attention to their comments and their cause.
About 26 BLM members spoke out. A separate group called in with racial slurs.
Black Lives Matter members said they also plan to attend the next city council meeting on Aug. 17.