A mayor in Washington is facing backlash for her 911 call reporting a group of “far right-wing” signature gatherers at a Walmart. Yakima Mayor Janice Deccio called the emergency line on September 3, expressing frustration that the petitioners were not leaving despite being asked to do so by Walmart. However, it turns out that Deccio misunderstood the state law regarding gathering signatures on private property. In the call, the dispatcher and a supervisor informed her that the petitioners had the right to be there and that Walmart would need a court order to remove them. The incident has sparked controversy and raised questions about the extent to which businesses can exclude petitioners from private property. Deccio is expected to address the issue at a city council meeting and has received support from constituents who claim that the behavior of the petitioners was aggressive and threatening. Since the release of the 911 call, Deccio and her husband have been subjected to harassment, including offensive messages and emails. The bulk of these communications are coming from outside Yakima, a city that tends to lean Republican in a predominantly Democrat state.
Yakima Mayor Faces Backlash for 911 Call on Far Right-Wing Signature Gatherers: Misunderstanding Sparks Controversy
A mayor in Washington is facing backlash for her 911 call reporting a group of “far right-wing” signature gatherers at a Walmart. Yakima Mayor Janice Deccio called the emergency line on September 3, expressing frustration that the petitioners were not leaving despite being asked to do so by Walmart. However, it turns out that Deccio misunderstood the state law regarding gathering signatures on private property. In the call, the dispatcher and a supervisor informed her that the petitioners had the right to be there and that Walmart would need a court order to remove them. The incident has sparked controversy and raised questions about the extent to which businesses can exclude petitioners from private property. Deccio is expected to address the issue at a city council meeting and has received support from constituents who claim that the behavior of the petitioners was aggressive and threatening. Since the release of the 911 call, Deccio and her husband have been subjected to harassment, including offensive messages and emails. The bulk of these communications are coming from outside Yakima, a city that tends to lean Republican in a predominantly Democrat state.