BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Whatcom County Council is following suit with the Bellingham City Council and suspending remote comments in response to incidents of hate speech in past meetings.

The council says it is currently reviewing its public comments rules and has suspended comment via Zoom until further notice.

The Bellingham City Council made a similar announcement earlier this month.

It comes amid a rise in hate speech incidents at meetings both locally and across the state.

Several callers interrupted the County Council’s Feb. 6 meeting with antisemitic comments.

Both councils say in-person public comment will continue unchanged and comments can also be made by phone, email or regular mail.

People with disabilities will still have an opportunity to offer remote comment.