Kamloops City Hall Issues Apology After Explicit Content Shown During Council Meeting

Kamloops city council and staff have issued an apology after a pornographic video was displayed during Tuesday’s council meeting.

The incident occurred during the public inquiries section of the regular meeting, which allows citizens to participate both in person and remotely via video. During the session, one of the online participants shared an explicit video, forcing an early adjournment.

“We deeply regret the inappropriate behavior and any distress it may have caused,” the city stated, referring to the event as a “Zoom-bombing.”

For Councillor Bill Sarai, this incident marks a tipping point in the city’s public participation process, which he says has been marred by months of disruptions.

Originally designed to allow the public to ask questions or comment on council agenda items, the inquiries portion of the meetings has increasingly devolved into “attacks on our staff and council,” Sarai said. He described past incidents involving “yelling, screaming,” and baseless accusations against city leaders, which have consumed hours of meeting time with frivolous questions.

“It’s really strayed far from its original purpose,” Sarai remarked, adding that he believes staff and council members can better address public concerns through email or individual meetings, rather than disrupting council proceedings.

Sarai is considering eliminating the public inquiries segment altogether. Meanwhile, the City of Kamloops is reviewing its meeting screening processes, and the incident has been reported to the RCMP for further investigation.