Police remove several Let Lansing Vote members from council meeting for disruption

LANSING — Police removed several members of a pro-marijuana group from a City Council meeting Monday night for violating rules of order.

There were no arrests, police said immediately after the meeting.

A campaign called Let Lansing Vote is suing the city, arguing that Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope improperly rejected a petition that would have challenged Lansing's medical marijuana ordinance.

Let Lansing Vote members say the ordinance, approved by council in September 2017, is too restrictive. The group has asked council to either eliminate or relax the city's cap on medical marijuana dispensaries.

(Watch as a police officer escorts Jarren Osmar, a Let Lansing Vote organizer, from council chambers for violating rules of order.)

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Jarren Osmar, a leader of Let Lansing Vote, began speaking about the pending lawsuit during the section of Monday's meeting which is designated for comments on legislative matters on the agenda.

Council President Carol Wood, an at-large representative, informed Osmar he would only be permitted to discuss that topic during a section at the end of the meeting, which is designated for comments on general matters related to city government.

"You are disenfranchising a voter right now," Osmar said, prompting cheers and whoops from the crowd. "This is a democracy issue. This is a voter issue."

Osmar continued to address city officials, shouting that he wanted the clerk to give specifics about why he rejected some Let Lansing Vote petition signatures in 2017 due to circulator error.

The petition had demanded that City Council either repeal its medical marijuana ordinance or put the issues before voters during the next citywide election.

After Wood asked for Osmar to be removed, a police officer escorted Osmar outside the meeting room while Osmar put his hands in the air. Audience members chanted "let Lansing vote" and "let him speak."

A police officer and security employee also removed Let Lasing Vote members Stephen Monti, Emily Kaye Walkowski and Rebecca DeJaegher after Wood informed them repeatedly they were speaking out of turn.

During a previous meeting, Wood admonished several Let Lansing Vote members for clapping during public comments, telling them that their actions violated council’s rules and procedures.

At council's March 26 meeting, Osmar also had discussed Let Lansing Vote and its referendum attempt during legislative comments. City Attorney Jim Smiertka said those remarks could be permitted then under a "broad interpretation" of council rules because the March 26 agenda had included a hearing on renewing all city ordinances.

When Osmar argued Monday that his comments should again be permitted, Smiertka said that interpretation was a "stretch" because Monday's agenda did not include legislation related to the referendum process. Smiertka added it would be within the council president's discretion to stop Osmar from speaking.

(Watch as a police officer and a security employee remove Let Lansing Vote supporters for disrupting the council meeting.)

In a statement on her Facebook page Tuesday, 1st Ward Council Member Jody Washington, council's vice president, wrote she believed the group's actions were "orchestrated."

"The leader held his hands out for the cuffs that never appeared," she wrote of Osmar. "It was clear they were hoping to be arrested."

Washington added, "I believe in 1st Amendment rights, I believe in differing opinions, and I believe in decorum and following the rules."

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.