Protestors react to new ban on signs inside Fargo City Hall (2024)

FARGO — Signs, flags and banners have been banned inside Fargo City Hall during city commission meetings after a divided vote of commissioners back in May.

This comes in the midst of months and months of protesters flooding city hall, signs and banners in hand, to ask the commission to pass a cease-fire resolution in the war between Israel and Palestine.

On Monday, June 10, Fargo’s new rule faced its first test when a few dozen attendees were asked to leave their signs at the door as they filed into the meeting.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Responses from those in attendance were mixed. Some left their signs on the floor outside, others skirted the new rule by wearing clothing emblazoned with their message, while some held their signs high in defiance of the new rule.

“We don’t allow signs and flags,” Mayor Tim Mahoney said on Monday. “I’m disappointed that you don’t want to follow the rules.”

Those that don’t comply with the new rules can be charged with trespassing, he said.

Attendees held their signs and flags aloft for the duration of the meeting.

Commissioners were divided by the decision to ban signs back in May.

“I’m absolutely opposed to this stifling and squelching of speech when it isn’t harmful to the public,” Commissioner John Strand said on May 28.

The move takes away residents' speech, he added, voicing concern that the commission would pick and choose which signs to prohibit.

When local organizations bring in giant checks to present money to the city of Fargo will those be banned too, he asked.

There is a clear difference between a check and a sign, Commissioner Dave Piepkorn responded.

“We welcome giant checks,” Piepkorn said in May.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

The decision to ban signs is intended to increase safety in the commission chambers, Commissioner Denise Kolpack said in May.

The commission has discussed further safety features for city hall, she added. Those include installing metal detectors and hiring security guards.

“The difficulty with signs is you can’t see behind the signs,” Mahoney said on Monday. “So if somebody behind the signs would have something that would be considered a threat we can’t see that, nor can my police officers see that from the back of the room.”

Ultimately Mahoney, Kolpack and Piepkorn voted in favor of banning signs while Strand and Commissioner Arlette Preston voted against it.

“We have four officers in this room … I feel pretty safe,” Strand said. “I am not threatened by somebody holding an 8 inch by 11 inch sign.”

Public speakers on Monday had a lot to say about the new rule.

“Recently a decision was made to ban our ability to bring signs and posters to meetings,” Fargo resident Sumaya Abukar said. “However it’s not surprising because we’ve been vocal about discussing the genocide in Palestine and the timing doesn’t seem to be a coincidence.”

She asked them to reconsider their decision and allow signs inside commission chambers going forward.

“Signs and posters are not mere pieces of paper,” Abukar said. “They are powerful tools of expression and solidarity.”

Heidi Soliman wondered at the timing of the commission’s decision, noting that in years past Fargo’s City Hall has seen its fair share of signs.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

“What does that look like to the people here? To me it looks like it could be islamophobia. It could be racism,” Soliman said.

Fargo isn’t alone in city’s quest to shake up public comments against the backdrop of cease-fire activists. Across the nation, local government entities are being swept with a similar wave of changes and debates.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

None of the cease-fire activists have done anything violent since they began attending meetings back in January, regular attendee Allison Slavik said, questioning the decision to ban the signs they’ve been carrying for months.

“My question to you is why? What threat are the peacemakers?”

Local government reporter working the night shift 👻. I cover Fargo city government, Cass County government and undercovered populations in the area.