A BRADFORD Council meeting was paused for almost an hour after repeated interruptions from the public gallery today.

The meeting of full Council started at 4pm this afternoon, and began with a discussion on the current crisis is Israel and Gaza.

Councillors from all parties discussed the issue for around 15 minutes, calling for an end to violence in the region.

During the discussion there was shouting from the public gallery about the issue. Lord Mayor Councillor Gerry Barker reminded the members of the public in attendance that while it was a meeting being held in public, it was not a public meeting.

Later, while Councillors were discussing a motion on sustainable transport, there was further disruption from the public gallery.

Members of the public in the gallery were again asked for restraint, but when some people continued to shout down to the Council chamber Cllr Barker asked for the public gallery to be cleared – and paused the meeting.

It re-started around an hour later.

When it did Cllr Barker said: “We welcome members of the public to witness proceedings in the Council chamber, but it is a shame someone has upset that process.”

Councillor Matt Edwards, leader of the Green Party in Bradford, was the Councillor who had brought the motion that was interrupted.

After the meeting was re-started Cllr Edwards said: “I share some of the gallery’s frustration – some of these issues seem a bit futile given everything that is happening in the Middle East, but this agenda was written weeks ago. That’s just the way things are.”