Council President Paul Krekorian says forceful action may be necessary to stop protestors from disrupting meetings

In an ongoing effort to control protestors who have disrupted Los Angeles City Council meetings in recent weeks, Council President Paul Krekorian on Sunday said that he might consider taking more forceful action. 

Spurred by a racially-charged scandal that involved then-President Nury Martinez and current councilmen Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, outraged protestors have filled City Hall chambers for weeks, constantly calling for the resignation of those involved, despite failure to do so from De León and Cedillo.

Krekorian was elected as council president in early December, taking over for Martinez after she resigned in the wake of the audio leak where she made several racist comments while speaking with councilmembers in 2021. 

He did not specify exactly what those plans of force could be. In meetings past, Krekorian has been forced to consistently call recesses to allow officers a chance to remove protestors from the building so the meetings can be conducted without disruption.

Despite heavy pressure from fellow councilmembers and other prominent political figures, De León and Cedillo have remained firm in their plans to stay on the council until their terms are over. Cedillo's term ended this month.

Krekorian and the rest of the council are currently on winter break, which lasts until Dec. 30.