A critic of Israel's actions in Gaza was arrested for allegedly disrupting a Teaneck council meeting Tuesday and possessing a stun gun illegally, township police said Wednesday.
Teaneck resident Layla Graham, 32, was arrested at the meeting and also faces charges of defiant trespass and resisting arrest, police said in a statement Wednesday.
Another Teaneck resident, Amanda Kearney, 23, was also arrested at the meeting after she physically interfered with officers attempting to remove Graham, police said. Kearney was charged with defiant trespass and obstruction.
Graham, who frequently protests against Israel at council meetings and on social media, interrupted the meeting several times with a blaring siren and ignored the mayor's request for her to stop, said Councilwoman Hillary Goldberg. A video from the meeting posted online shows Mayor Michael Pagan and other township officials repeatedly asking two people in the crowd to stop disrupting the proceedings, before eventually calling on police.
The police statement said one of those two, an "unidentified adult male," was "screaming" at officers but eventually left the municipal building. Graham refused to leave until police "used force to physically escort her out," the statement said. She was arrested after first blocking the entrance to the building and then coming back inside, police said.
Messages left seeking comment from Graham weren't immediately returned.
During her arrest, Graham was searched. In a video provided by former Councilman Keith Kaplan, she can be seen asking police why they are going through her belongings, before she informs them that she has a "personal weapon" in her bag.
The Teaneck police statement said that although adults may legally possess a stun gun in New Jersey, it's illegal to bring the device into schools and public buildings.
Graham's protest at the council meeting included a sign that referred to the deaths of children in Gaza. Her actions come against the backdrop of months of tension in Teaneck, starting with Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel and continuing through the Israeli campaign in Gaza.
An event at Congregation Keter Torah discussing real estate in Israel and West Bank settlements drew hundreds of protesters to town in March; two arrests were made after police said demonstrators threw objects and sprayed red paint at pedestrians and vehicles entering the temple. Jewish residents have objected to what they view as anti-Israel and antisemitic slogans at other demonstrations.
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A New York man, meanwhile, was arrested last week for allegedly threatening a woman taking part in a pro-Palestinian vehicle caravan in April. Ebrahim Yehounatan, 71, of Flushing, New York, allegedly brandished a knife toward the woman as the procession drove through town, Teaneck police said.
Goldberg, the councilwoman, expressed frustration at Tuesday night's disruption. "We have business to conduct and a township to govern," she said, adding that the council spoke about an array of issues that night including snowplowing, a tree ordinance and backyard chicken ownership. "We have to do our jobs."
Councilwoman Karen Orgen agreed. "This was a stunt designed to disrupt," she said. "It took time away from people who want to speak and get work done. I'm all for First Amendment rights, but there is a right way to do things. Disrupting our council meeting and putting our police officers at risk is not OK."
A Teaneck police spokesman said Wednesday that it had been "quite some time since we have had to make an arrest at a council meeting."
The stun gun charge against Graham and obstruction charge against Kearney are both fourth-degree charges, which are punishable by up to 18 months' imprisonment, the spokesman said.
Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .
Email: yellin@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Gaza protesters arrested after disruption of Teaneck council meeting, police say
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