LETTER: Press story on meeting chaos conflicts with video recording

To Ozaukee Press:

Two portions of the description in Ozaukee Press of last week’s Port Washington Common Council meeting arrests are inaccurate when compared to the official video from the city. The Press news story first claimed people “began interrupting speakers they disagreed with.” That is false.  

Prior to Christine Le Jeune’s comments (approximately 18 minutes into the recording), the recording shows only a few scattered, single-word outbursts (yes!,  yeah!, etc.) made in support of people who were speaking against the data center.

Nobody was interrupted, and the brief outbursts (as well as occasional applause) were supportive of the speakers.

Second, the news story reported that “while a supporter of the data center spoke Le Jeune shouted several times.” That is also false. As Le Jeune was leaving the podium (approximately 21 minutes into the recording) and walking back to her seat, she shouted “recall recall recall” before the next speaker had started speaking. People applauded briefly and the next speaker began with no interruption. Approximately 20 seconds elapsed between Le Jeune’s buzzer going off and the next speaker starting. Le Jeune was quiet in her seat while the next speaker spoke.

Tom Kamenick

Port Washington

Editor’s note: Ozaukee Press stands by its reporting that jeers from the crowd were heard when speakers spoke in favor of the data centers. The news story’s account of the interaction between police and Ms. Le Jeune was based on information provided by a police spokesman and attributed to him in the story. When the Press reporter tried to interview the co-organizer of the anti-data center group for her view of the police action, the woman refused to comment.