“I think it’s important to note that while we may have disagreements when it comes to policy, I genuinely don’t believe any of you are ‘racist,’” he said.

Walker, who has consistently stated that she doesn’t feel comfortable policing meetings, expressed concern about balancing space for the community to be heard and not shutting down expression.

“If you go back and look at meetings prior to my term and especially after August 2017, those meetings were as hectic and disruptive,” she said, noting that people had been arrested. “I believe that we haven’t done enough healing in this community where we won’t have only those two options.”

Walker said she has received emails saying that disruptive meetings “advance my agenda,” which she disputed.

“It doesn’t advance any agenda of mine,” she said. “It also has given this council and individuals running for council the opportunity to say that my term as mayor hasn’t been successful.”

Bellamy said Walker is in an “incredibly tough position.”

“Nobody up here wants to see anybody taken from meetings in handcuffs,” he said. “When we’re up here, there has to be a certain level of respect that everybody shows each other.”