Tuesday’s Kansas City, Mo., City Council meeting on public financing for the new Kansas City Royals stadium was interrupted when a Kauffman Stadium worker disrupted public comments and was handcuffed by police.
According to KCTV 5, public comment participants were given two minutes to speak, but those in support of the stadium were allegedly being given additional time to voice their opinions. Noticing the discrepancy, Darrell Miller, a Kauffman Stadium worker, objected to the favorable treatment.
A video of the incident shows security officers rushing across the room to detain Miller as he shouted about the unequal public comment. Miller was pinned to the ground, handcuffed and escorted out of the meeting room.
Related: Community Members Disrupt Kansas City Meeting on Future Royals Ballpark, Call for Public Vote
Miller was attending the meeting with the Stand Up KC group, a section of the Missouri Workers Power organization, which opposes the public financing of the new stadium.
In a statement following Miller’s detainment, Missouri Workers Power said, “Miller came to the hearing today, along with other Missouri Workers Power members, to speak against a deal that would commit $600 million in public money to a billionaire's stadium while Kansas City cuts transit, schools, and housing. Instead of being heard, he was taken into custody. Missouri Workers Power condemns the council’s decision to move forward with public financing for the project without a public vote. When you add state incentives, the total public cost of this stadium could exceed $1.5 billion over 30 years while Kansas City faces a $100 million budget shortfall, underfunded schools, a transit system in crisis, and a housing shortage working families can't afford.”
KMBC reported that shortly after Miller was removed from the meeting room, the finance committee unanimously approved the public funding for the new stadium. Now, the measure will advance to the full City Council on Sept. 3.
