The Whittier City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 23, will consider approving an ordinance that limits how close protesters can picket outside a home, amid critics’ claims a proposed new buffer zone is more about silencing dissent and protecting the city’s mayor than maintaining public safety.

The five-member council will hear a second reading on the ordinance, which the council approved in “urgency” (but temporary) form back on Sept. 9.

Approval would make the ordinance permanent.

It prohibits targeted picketing at individual residences, “whether single-family or multi-family dwellings, while still leaving ample alternatives for protest in public spaces such as sidewalks, parks, and civic venues,” according to city staffers. “It is a narrowly-tailored measure aimed at preserving neighborhood

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