AURORA, Colo. — The Aurora City Council moved its meetings and public comment sessions online this summer, after most members decided in-person meetings had become too disruptive as protestors interrupted, demanding justice for Kilyn Lewis.
Lewis, a Black man, was unarmed when he was shot and killed by an Aurora SWAT officer on May 23, 2024, as authorities tried to arrest him on an attempted first-degree murder warrant out of Denver. The City of Aurora now faces a wrongful death lawsuit and another lawsuit alleging its city council public comment changes violate the First Amendment.
MiDian Shofner, CEO of the Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership and lead advocate for the family of Kilyn Lewis, filed the latter lawsuit and told Denver7 Monday, “We are set to go to trial in November with the City of Aurora” and “we are ready for the courts to engage thoughtfully and to ensure that we have elected officials that don't silence our voices.”
- View a timeline of the changes to Aurora City Council's public comment below
Council Members Alison Coombs, Crystal Murrillo, and Ruben Medina, who opposed the move to online-only meetings, hosted an in-person gathering Monday night at the ABC Collective at Paris Elementary School, a new community hub in Aurora. They wanted to give the community a chance to see their leaders in person and tune in to the virtual meeting together. They also hoped to send a message to their fellow council members who prefer that meetings stay virtual.
“Even if you have video on [during meetings], it's still easier to connect when you're in that shared space,” Coombs told Denver7 Monday. “For me personally, I know that sometimes it's our job to be uncomfortable hearing things from people that we may not want to hear, as leaders and as public servants.”
“Part of council is listening to constituents, whether good, bad or indifferent. That is our job,” Medina added. “I think it's our opportunity to show people that we're part of community, regardless of our agreements or disagreements. This is where we should be. We should be in community when they need us the most, and this is the time.”
Shofner was grateful for the “three council members who are not willing to normalize this,” and said in-person meetings are about more than having a space to demand justice for Lewis.
“We are here to lift up the voice of Kylin Lewis and his family, and let's make sure community has access to their leaders,” she said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- 'The calls keep dropping': Technical difficulties delay public comment during Aurora City Council meeting
- Lawsuit alleges changes to Aurora City Council's public comment violates First Amendment
- Aurora City Council suspends in-person meetings, public comment until Kilyn Lewis lawsuit settled
Kirk Manzanares, an Aurora resident who started a movement called Aurora Get The Vote Out, believes the council members supporting online-only meetings are “scared.”
“We should all learn how to get along and get through a city council meeting,” he said. “That's why they got elected was to hold city council meetings, not to hide at home.”
“Having in-person testimony and having people engage with our legislators, that's the core of our democracy,” said Christian Caldwell, an Aurora resident and CEO of My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper Colorado. “The fact that Aurora has been to this all-virtual because they got upset behind some of the public comments that were made, and that they didn't want to deal with the people, is a travesty.”
Denver7 reached out to Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and the council members who voted against an in-person return in July. One of them, Amsalu Kassaw, sent Denver7 an email with the following message, expressing concern that recent in-person meetings did not give the community the proper space for important discussions.
“An in-person gathering for public comment can be very valuable when all participants respect the rules and avoid using foul language. While I fully support the First Amendment, I strongly believe our community needs common-sense, respectful dialogue so everyone feels comfortable engaging in person and follow the rules.
What I often see instead is unproductive behavior, when someone abuses the system, it discourages others from showing up and speaking to be heard. On my end, I will continue to encourage respectful dialogue and engagement without profanity or words that could incite violence. Our community deserves open, civil, and constructive conversations in person, and I hope to see that change soon.”
Coffman responded to Monday’s in-person gathering with the following message:
“I voted to return to regular in person meetings but a majority of the members of council supported staying virtual. At one point there was a discussion about waiting until the Lewis case is settled but that is a moot point given that the disruptions of our meetings has stopped. I expect that, after the next vote, we will be back in person for our regular meetings given that we are now able to conduct our meetings without disruptions.”
“Especially in times of polarization, there's something about feeling a sense of belonging and feeling seen and feeling heard, and that comes off much better when you're situated in person,” said Janiece Mackey, co-founder of Young Aspiring Americans for Social & Political Activism and lead of the ABC Collective.
Coombs said they are planning to continue the makeshift in-person meetings.
“As long as these [city council] meetings are virtual, we're going to continue providing that space,” she said.
