The Dayton commission’s chief of staff and the city manager told Wood she could not have the stands with her as she addressed the commission, but she would not listen.
Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. directed her to remove the items, which had two masks that looked like old people’s faces on them.
“You are violating my rights,” she said. “This is how I identify, this is how I communicate. ... You cannot tell me how to talk — that’s freedom of religion.”
She said, “I am God’s weapon of mass destruction.”
The mayor ruled her out of order, but she continued ranting and yelling and started playing music.
The commission went into recess, and city staff and almost all audience members filed out of the chambers until police escorted Wood out of the building. Commission later resumed and completed the meeting.
Disturbances at city commission meetings happen from time to time. A couple of years ago, a man was led out of commission chambers after he walked up to commissioners during the meeting because he said he wanted a hug.
A year ago, a man was escorted out of a commission meeting after he was ruled out of order and refused to step away from the podium and stop speaking.
That same man also spoke at Wednesday’s meeting.
He said, “I come to you tonight as a messenger and a messenger only — and it’s not just for you, it’s for anyone who will listen: The message of death.”
He continued, “I am the enemy of the unholy, I am the enemy of the unrighteous, all fall before your God. That is the message and I leave you now as a messenger in peace.”
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