BELLINGHAM, WA ( MYBELLINGHAMNOW.COM) – Racist interlopers interrupted Tuesday night’s Whatcom County Council meeting.

Council Chair Barry Buchanan says they joined the meeting remotely during the public comment period and began their statements benignly before launching into extreme antisemitism. He says one provided a name that, when pronounced, was an offensive reference to the Holocaust.

The council suspended the meeting and went into executive session to discuss how to move forward, then resumed the meeting by allowing only written comments to be submitted.

Buchanan says councilmembers value public input greatly and want to find a way to receive it while blocking language that’s simply meant to incite or offend. He says they’ll consult with other governmental entities in the region, including the Blaine City Council, that have had similar experiences in recent months.