Whittier’s governing body found itself holding its City Council meeting without an audience Tuesday, Sept. 23, after police cleared the crowd from council chambers.

The council still approved a buffer zone limiting how close protesters could encroach on a residence while picketing.

The chambers were cleared after what city officials said were “inflammatory public comments” by a member of the public during the council’s comment period. They sparked an angry response from others in the audience, further disrupting the meeting.

“Those who took exception to these comments willfully disrupted the meeting by shouting at the City Council and insisting that the offensive comments be stopped,” city staffers said in a written statement Wednesday.

After Mayor Joe Vinatieri warned that a member

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