Binghamton City Council President Sophia Resciniti who had protesters come to her home following a public meeting is speaking out.
Resciniti called for an abrupt end to a two-hour long virtual session on police reform Monday night as multiple callers used foul language directed at her and the mayor.
Protestors originally gathered outside the Justice Building while the meeting was still going on. Police said things escalated after the meeting ended when a group of protestors began banging on the glass at city hall where Resciniti was.
Around 30 demonstrators then made their way to her home, yelling expletives outside until police were called.
Resciniti said this type of behavior discourages other residents from joining these types of meetings. She said she’s used to attacks on social media, but this was much different.
“This is my sanctuary. This is my home. This is where my kids sleep. This is where my family is, and to look outside my window in the middle of the night, to see a mob of two, three dozen people yelling and calling for me to come out and threatening my work at Binghamton University, I honestly am still processing," she said.
Monday’s events also have another member of city council speaking out — this time against the president for ending the meeting.
Councilwoman Aviva Friedman said she was “shocked and disgusted” with the “behavior” of the council president.
She also criticized the city for holding just one public meeting on police reform, and said the public has been cut out of the process entirely.
Friedman claims the city is not addressing what she’s calling “racism and militarization” within the department.
She said she would have liked to have heard from more members of the community and believes they were silenced.
“The way that the public hearing went is kind of reflective of the entire process where it mirrors the fact that there has been a compete pack of transparency," Friedman said. "People seem to be working very hard to avoid being accountable to their constituents, and avoid actually seeking input from the community.”
Police continue to investigate both the protests and a threat made on social media.
Anyone with information is asked to call 607-772-7080.