Hastings council meeting abandoned due to protest

The council leader said she was "extremely disappointed" the meeting had to be adjourned

A Hastings Borough Council meeting was cancelled moments after it was started due to a protest within the chamber.

The full council meeting on Wednesday was the last before local elections in May.

It is understood protesters had called for the meeting to hear the Green and Independent administration’s motion on a ceasefire in Gaza, which was not granted.

A council spokesperson said: "The meeting was adjourned due to the disruption. We won't be making any further comment."

Green council leader Julia Hilton said she was “extremely disappointed”.

Labour described the evening’s events as a “disgrace”.

A video of the council meeting shows it being closed within a minute of being declared open at around 18:00 GMT.

Ms Hilton said it was the last opportunity for full council business to be carried out ahead of the pre-election period.

"We were therefore extremely disappointed that the meeting was adjourned," she said.

The event was adjourned by Labour mayor Margi O'Callaghan, who chairs council meetings.

"Members of the public can't come and just shout over councillors," Ms O'Callaghan told BBC Radio Sussex.

"They can ask any questions they like and they can do that in writing."

'No order'

She said the protesters had been asked to leave, but "nobody went anywhere" and that the meeting was adjourned because she "didn't want to continue with no order".

Katy Colley, who was among those in the public gallery, said "concerned local residents" were not seeking to prevent the meeting taking place.

She added that the group had not been asked to leave the chamber, but had voluntarily left by 18:30.

Local activist Gabriel Carlyle stood to speak when the meeting was declared open, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He had been asking why the motion was not to be discussed by councillors.

"There were a number of important items on the agenda for tonight, including debating a motion to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill," said Ms Hilton.

"These will now have to wait until the next full council in June."

'Valid speech'

Labour said that while it "wholeheartedly" recognised the right of individuals to protest, the action taken at the meeting was not "legitimate".

Councillor Heather Bishop, leader of the Labour group, said: "When such protests prevent the ability of democratically-elected councillors to meet to discuss and make decisions on important issues that matter to local residents, they move beyond legitimate protest and into mob rule."

She added that actions by protesters at the meeting had been a "disgrace".

But Independent councillor Andy Batsford said members of the public were making a "valid speech".

"It's a disgrace. That motion needed to be heard. And also, the rest of the business needed to be heard as well."