“Fascists!” one yelled as officials repeatedly asked callers to put themselves on mute.

“Make fishing great again!” declared another.

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The fiasco — which came to an abrupt end when regulators canceled the meeting — highlighted the challenges facing officials nationwide as they try to shift government business online during the coronavirus pandemic. It also demonstrated how the spread of misinformation can create mass confusion about the temporary restrictions being put into place, prompting an uproar over a nonexistent mandate.

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As the Sacramento Bee reported, some rural counties have asked to postpone the start of California’s trout season, slated to open on April 25. With many prime fishing destinations found in remote communities with little to no health-care infrastructure, local leaders fear that out-of-town visitors could inadvertently spread the coronavirus at gas stations, tackle shops and boat launches.

Thursday’s meeting had a fairly dull bureaucratic purpose: voting on whether to grant emergency powers to Charlton H. Bonham, the head of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, so that he could restrict fishing in select areas at local officials’ request. There was no talk of canceling the entire fishing season statewide.

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But on Tuesday, the California Globe, a conservative website, posted an article with the misleading headline “CA Department of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Wants to Close Sportfishing Season Due to COVID-19.” Soon, rumors that Newsom’s administration wanted to ban fishing altogether were running rampant online.

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According to the Bee, Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) shared the Globe’s story to his personal Facebook page, writing: “The enviros don’t really want you out there to begin with. Using this quarantine period to advance government control that would never sell otherwise is a breach of trust. It could have the effect of many deciding to become defiant and do what they want when they sense their ‘leadership’ isn’t fair or logical.”

The article itself stated that regulators were talking only about postponing the fishing season in rural areas. Nevertheless, some Republican state legislators and rural sheriffs loudly declared their opposition to a statewide fishing ban.

The result was utter mayhem when fish and wildlife commissioners attempted to start the meeting on Thursday morning. Hundreds of angry fishermen signed in to the WebEx conference call, creating a cacophony of beeps and belligerent back talk as state officials tried to regain control.

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“If we keep doing this, they won’t have the meeting and they won’t shut us down,” one caller suggested.

With so many people bombarding the conference call, some members of the commission were shut out. A voice on the line announced that the meeting couldn’t go forward, since there wasn’t a quorum.

“What a joke,” one participant responded.

“You cancel, we’re just coming back,” said another.

Officials begged for some patience. “This is the first time trying a massive meeting like this under a crisis situation, and the comments are not helpful,” California Fish and Game Commission President Eric Sklar said. Moments later, another state regulator came on the line, saying that the meeting had been canceled and would be rescheduled.

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Pandemonium erupted. Someone started playing a recorded sermon about the prophet Samuel and the kings of Israel. “Section 25 of the California constitution states no land will ever be taken from fishermen,” one angler defiantly declared. Another asked if anyone wanted to FaceTime.

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“Make a stand, join the Klan,” one caller said. Another started repeating the n-word over and over again.

“We are very appreciative of the passion we heard from those that were able to join this morning’s call,” Sklar and Bonham said in a joint statement later on Thursday. “It is clear that the call volume was overwhelming and the technology wasn’t ready. We acknowledge that this is a challenge as we attempt to navigate new technology for meetings. We are frustrated by what happened today and are looking for a remedy now.”

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The disastrous meeting attempt also prompted officials to clarify that no one was planning on banning fishing altogether and that restrictions would be imposed only on communities that wanted them.

“I’m passionate about fishing myself and I’m getting inundated by people that are concerned that we’ve canceled the fishing season,” Newsom said at a Thursday news conference. “That is not the case. We are not canceling the fishing season in California.”

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One industry group, the Nor-Cal Guides & Sportsmen’s Association, condemned the offensive remarks made during Thursday’s meeting and emphasized that the disruptive callers didn’t speak for all fishermen.