Dressed in a Batman costume, a speaker confronted the Santa Clara City Council with angry words. Shortly before the Super Bowl, he called on the city to take a clear stand against operations by the US immigration authority ICE.
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- A man in a Batman costume sharply criticized the Santa Clara City Council during a meeting and called for decisive action against the expected deployment of US immigration authorities ICE around the Super Bowl.
- He accused the city of inaction and demanded written assurances that no city resources would be used for federal agencies.
- The city announced that it would discuss the issue again at the next city council meeting.
A man in a Batman costume lashed out at the Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday night. During public comment, he called on the city to take a clear stance against the expected U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation around the Super Bowl. Santa Clara will host Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium next Sunday.
As reported by US station KTVU, the man addressed the council in dramatic fashion: he accused the city of inaction and demanded that it put in writing that no city resources would be made available for ICE operations. The speaker simply introduced himself as "Batman" and made full use of his three-minute speaking time. He used crude language on several occasions.
The city had had months to prepare for the situation, the man said. He described the announced or expected activities of ICE as dangerous and deadly. He called on the council members to take responsibility and protect the population from the actions of federal authorities. Right at the beginning of his speech, "Batman" resorted to crude language and asked the city council: "What the fuck are we doing here?" - which can be translated as: What the hell are we doing here?
«What the fuck are we doing here?»
What the hell are we doing here? Seriously, you've had months to prepare for this upcoming event. I don't give a fuck if this is out of etiquette. People are dying on our streets every single day in this country because we allow this federal government to trample over you.
Further, "Batman" referenced recent deadly deployments by federal authorities in Minneapolis. He warned of hundreds of masked men coming to Santa Clara and again demanded that the city not support ICE in any form.
«I don't want you to sit back and watch. I want you to fucking do something.»
The city of Santa Clara announced it would revisit the issue at the next city council meeting on Feb. 3. A spokeswoman told KTVU there will be an opportunity for discussion and possible resolution. Police Chief Cory Morgan also emphasized to the station that local police are focused on public safety and will not speculate on activities of federal agencies.