Beacon's Swearing-In Ceremony Disrupted By Pro-Palestinian Supporters Who Were Physically Handled By City Administrator and Veterans
/Congressman Pat Ryan, who represents Beacon in District 18, is being followed everywhere by Pro-Palestinian supporters to demand that he call for a permanent ceasefire of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. The people don’t need to travel far, as they are usually residents of the towns Pat Ryan visits to give remarks to during Swearing-In Ceremonies of these communities.
Like this ceremony at Gardiner Town Hall. And this large protest march in Kingston. And this this 8th night of Hanukkah protest by Jewish constituents and kids at his Newburgh office. Prior to that, this protest also at his Newburgh office by 300 protesters. And prior to that, this first protest at his Poughkeepsie office led by some Beaconites.
The following is a description of what happened at Beacon’s Swearing-In Ceremony, which was captured on video and published below.
On Saturday, January 6, 2024, a four Beaconites, who are regular listeners or participants of Beacon City Council Meetings, were sitting in the audience of Beacon’s Swearing-In Ceremony for new Councilmembers being hosted at the Veterans Memorial Building, waiting to display their message of Ceasefire to Congressman Ryan. It was early in the ceremony, and Senator Rob Rolison (former Mayor of Poughkeepsie) and Sue Serino (newly elected Dutchess County Executive and former NY State Senator) had already spoken.
Congressman Ryan was next to speak. When he did, the four pro-Palestinian Beaconites demonstrating told ALBB that they stood up to unfurl a banner that said "Ceasefire." Say the demonstrators, their intent was to silently stand with the banner as Congressman Ryan spoke. As Congressman Ryan began his remarks, he did so by giving attention the silent visual demonstration in the back of the room by saying: “Before we get interrupted here…” as the display of a banner began to get more audible by opposing Beaconites who wanted to block the banner. The rest of Congressman Ryan’s speech in full is below.
As Congressman Ryan spoke, four more individuals also stood up to block the demonstrators and the banner with their bodies (ALBB is unable to obtain the names of the two Veterans at this time). The demonstrators described them to ALBB as:
Veteran with grey hair, wearing black sweatshirt (yellow emblem) & jeans.
Veteran with white hair, wearing glasses and black & red sweatshirt.
Harold Delamater, Veterans Memorial Building Manager, wearing grey sweatshirt & glasses.
Chris White, Beacon City Administrator
The demonstrators said that they tried to hold the banner until they were escorted out of the room under threat of arrest.
One of the demonstrating Beaconites brought his 5 month old baby with him, who was snuggled into a front-facing baby carrier onto his body.
City Administrator Chris White licking his lips in a warm up moment before putting his hands on the smallest protester, who is directly in front of him, while he inched closer to the demonstrator.
Harold Delamater of the Veterans Memorial Building pats demonstrator Veekas Ashoka on the back after helping him roll up the Ceasefire banner. Herold said he wanted the demonstrators arrested.
After a Beacon demonstrator unfurled the banner, the demonstrators were surrounded by Beacon Police, Veterans of the Memorial Building, and Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White. At one point, according to the demonstrators which can also be heard in the video posted above, City Administrator Chris ordered the Police to arrest the demonstrators, saying: “Arrest them,” but the female Police Officer said she’d need to get approval from someone responsible for the property, the demonstrators told ALBB.
According to the demonstrators, the Police asked Veteran building manager Harold Delamater (pictured above) if he’d like the demonstrators arrested. According to the demonstrators, Harold said that he did want them arrested. ALBB reached out to Harold for comment, but did not receive a response.
According to the demonstrators, the female Police Officer gave them a warning before arresting. At the warning, the demonstrators agreed to leave without being arrested. It was at that time that the demonstrators began their exit.
Pro-Palestinian supporter Veekas Ashoka and his 5 month year old baby were shoulder bumped by a white man with silver white hair as Veekas left shouting: "How many more people have to die before you support a ceasefire, Representative Ryan? How many more kids like mine have to die?"
After that, Veekas walked backwards out of the room, shouting: "Ceasefire Now!" His 5 month year old baby watched the scene from his carrier. Veekas continued: "How many more people have to die before you support a ceasefire, Representative Ryan? How many more kids like mine have to die?" A white man with white hair who had been standing next to Veekas during the entire encounter, sideways shoulder-bumped Veekas and his baby as Veekas walked out, physically moving Veekas to the left. The man did so with arms behind his back and not one change to his facial expression. The force of his body did move Veekas’ body, which you can see in the video above.
After Veekas left, another demonstrator, the smallest of the group, held his sign up. It read CEASEFIRE!. Harold, who is roughly the same height as the demonstrator, grabbed the demonstrator’s jacket and hoisted him up as the demonstrator held his CEASEFIRE! sign above his own head. City Administrator Chris, who is was taller than the demonstrator, reached in to grab the sign from the demonstrator, who leaned away.
Beacon Police were in attendance the entire time with the peaceful demonstrators, so it is not clear why the property manager or City Administrator got physical with the demonstrators and escalated the situation. It is also not clear why the Beacon Police did not recognize this, and assigned escalation to the demonstrators, when their bodies were being grabbed by a city official and property manager.
Left: Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White, ripping a “CEASEFIRE” Sign out of a Pro-Palestinian’s hands (Middle). On the right a male Beacon Police Officer monitoring the scene.
A male Beacon Police Officer was behind the demonstrator holding his arm as City Administrator Chris was wrestling away the sign. However, the Police Officer was watching City Administrator Chris. Harold kept his hands on the demonstrator, and soon all three men had their hands on the smallest demonstrator. City Administrator Chris succeeded in ripping the Ceasefire sign in half.
City Administrator Chris White pointing the protestor to the door as Veteran’s Building Manager Harold Delamater and a Beacon Police Officers place their hands on the demonstrator to push him forward.
The tallest and third protestor exited the room while chanting “Ceasefire!” and was pushed out by Harold.
The smallest demonstrator holding the small Ceasefire sign was pushed out by a Beacon Police Officer and pulled out by City Administrator Chris. Before he was forced to leave, he chanted “Ceasefire Now!” and a round of applause returned his gesture.
Later, outside of the building, the smallest demonstrator told ALBB that City Administrator Chris called him an “asshole,” to which the demonstrator replied: “You’re violent.” City Administrator Chris apparently repeated the insult, and the two went around again before stopping. There was a Police Officer between between the demonstrator and City Administrator Chris at that point.
A demonstrator shouting “Ceasefire Now!” while being pushed by a Beacon Police Officer and pulled by City Administrator Chris White.
The fourth demonstrator recounted their experience, which was not captured in the video. They described to ALBB:
“I was being blocked by the Veteran with grey hair, wearing a black sweatshirt & jeans. This gentleman kept shouting "stop touching me" while standing in front of me and the "smallest demonstrator" when we first got up. This tactic was to misconstrue the events and make it appear as if we were violent, although two men were forcibly gripping our banner. Our goal was to silently hold the banner within Pat Ryan's line of vision. None of the attendee's would have even known we were there, if these individuals just stayed in their seats. Shouting "stop touching me" turned everyone's attention to us.
“With two men, strongly gripping the Ceasefire banner, I attempted to keep a portion of it open, unaware that I was working against two men which explains why it was so difficult to hold it up. In my attempt to keep the banner up, I was being pulled down into a table behind me. I was then scolded for leaning on the table. You can see the Veteran with white hair & glasses moving the table in the video, as if the materialistic object had more value than my safety. A male Police Officer looked me in the eyes trying to capture my attention, as he saw I was struggling to keep the sign up. I was informed that they will have to arrest us if we don't leave. I let go of the banner and walked out the door before the other demonstrators. Luckily, I escaped the altercation that followed, where the smallest demonstrator was pulled by his jacket by Chris White's hands. I chanted "Ceasefire Now" as I walked in front of Veekas.”
Said Veekas to ALBB after the demonstration: “Many members of the audience messaged me directly to express their appreciation after the event was over. One member of the audience was so moved by the action that she started chanting ‘Ceasefire Now’ and left with us.”
Congressman Pat Ryan’s Speech In Beacon
Congressman Ryan’s speech was brief and addressed the national and global outrage of the massacre in Gaza and awakening to the growing and violent occupation of Palestine by Zionist Israeli military. He said: "When the rubber hits the road, local government making Beacon a great shining example of what a Hudson Valley City can and should look like. The moment we are in the country - the world - at least in my lifetime - really incredible division. Just ask anyone taking this oath. To really reflect on what that oath means. The idea of essentially explicitly making yourself as an individual 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, below a greater common good. Below a city, below a county, a state, below a nation. Really recognizing that in a time of incredible polarization, the only path through this is a recognition that we don't all get exactly everything we want. We have to be willing to compromise and work together and be civil. That comes from ego and self pursuit of those aims is what causes that division."
Pat Ryan may have been implying that ego is what drove the demonstrators to demonstrate peacefully and silently, until they were blocked and physically handled by Beacon's City Administrator and some Veterans in the building. The Congressman should also note that part of why Beacon is a "shining example" is because of the demonstrating that citizens do for a number of different causes. Sometimes being aligned, sometimes working toward alignment.
In this case, "willing to compromise" on 23,000 Palestinian lives killed, and Israeli hostages still not safely home, who are in fact equally threatened under Israeli's indiscriminate bombardment using weapons funded by the United States Government, is not something many Beaconites will compromise on.
People Sworn In
The following people were sworn in, except Wren Longo. It had been rumored that she had resigned previously. Her resignation was officially announced at a City Council Meeting later. The Mayor appointed Pam Weatherbee to replace her, and appointed Amber Grant, a former City Councilmember, to return to the Councilmember At-Large position. The Council could have insisted on a public vote, but did not do so at the Mayor’s strong urging.
Paloma Wake, Councilmember At-Large, sworn in by Justice McCray (former City Councilmember)
Pam Wetherbee, Councilmember At-Large, sworn in by George Mansfield (former City Councilmember)
Pam was later moved to Ward 3 after Wren’s resignation.
Molly Rhodes, Councilmember Ward 1, sworn in by Mayor Lee Kyriacou.
Jeff Domanski, Councilmember Ward 2, sworn in by Justice McCray, who he replaced.
Dan Aymar-Blair, Councilmember Ward 4, sworn in by George Mansfield.
Mayor Lee Kyriacou, sworn in by Congressman Pat Ryan.
Watch the entire Swearing-In Ceremony here (does not include visuals of the disruption).
