White supremacists disrupt Pismo Beach City Council meeting

March 14, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Clarification: A reporter named Bill Shaner wrote an article outing some of the members of a neo-Nazi group located in California. Since then, one of the leaders in the group is claiming his name is Bill Shaner.

White supremacists disrupted a Pismo Beach City Council meeting last week, espousing their hatred of Jewish and black people while supporting Palestinians in Gaza.

During public comment on March 5, there were about a dozen people online waiting to speak when a man who called himself Bill Shaner asked the council to pass a pro-Palestine resolution. Shaner wanted the council to be open about their opposition to the “raping and killing of children in Gaza.”

As Shaner became more divisive, Mayor Ed Waage argued the topic was not in the purview of the city council. Shaner responded saying a resolution was in their purview.

Shaner then began screaming “f**k the Jews” and “f**k the nig***.” Another speaker attempted to continue the vitriol when Mayor Waage called a five minute break. After the break, Waage moved the remainder of public comment to the end of the meeting. A handful of people waiting to speak, however, left before the end of the meeting.

Following the meeting, city staff sanitized their video record of the meeting, cutting out portions of public comment, including part of Shaner’s rant.