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Beaumont City Councilmember Roger Berg was ‘arrested’ for assault on a woman during a No on Proposition 8 demonstration in Beaumont on Monday, November 3, 2008. In an interview on Tuesday, Betty McMillion, Riverside County Democratic Central Committee chair told BluePalmSpringsBoyz, that Berg had been placed under ‘citizen’s arrest’ by the victim and that police reports had been filed against him. Additionally, a minor filmed and audioed the aggression and has turned copies over to Beaumont police and the District Attorney’s office for further investigation.
During Election 2008, spontaneous rallies took place around Beaumont, a city in the San Gorgonio Pass region of Riverside County, midway between Palm Springs and Redlands. A handful of young adults and older teens would gather at major intersections and crowds would gather to protest Proposition 8. Monday was just such a demonstration.
More below the flip…
The Record Gazette reporters, Traci Kratzer and Cindy Watson, write today:
A Beaumont woman has told police that Beaumont Councilman Roger Berg pushed her during a Proposition 8 demonstration Monday night, an incident witnessed by dozens of people and filmed with a cellphone by one of them.
The pictures of the incident that took place at the intersection of Beaumont Avenue and Oak Valley Parkway about 6 p.m. have been turned over to Beaumont police, the victim said.
Jennifer Avakian, 31, said she and other demonstrators for “No on Prop. 8” were standing in front of Walgreens while demonstrators for “Yes on Prop. 8” were on the other side of the street. In an interview with the Record Gazette, Avakian said the demonstration was going along peacefully until a man, who she later identified as Berg, began yelling at the “No on Prop. 8” supporters.
“He was screaming and saying that we were going to go to hell and that we were an abomination.” Avakian said. “He looked crazy, like he was going to hurt someone.”
Berg, 53, allegedly began yelling at another one of the woman (sic) who was holding up a sign, and Avakian said, she went over to intervene. That is when Avakian said Berg made a fist and pushed it into the sign she was holding, pushing her backwards.
“I was in complete shock,” Avakian said. “I didn’t even know he was a council member until someone told me who he was. That just made the whole thing ten times worse.”
Attempts to reach the homophobic, bigoted Berg were unsuccessful, according to the Record Gazette. BluePalmSpringsBoyz knows from personal experience re Berg’s erratic, temperamental behavior as when I spoke to Beaumont City Council in October in support of No on 8, Berg flailed his arms, turned beet red, and said that if Council did not support Yes on 8, then the next thing that would happen would be that men would be marrying horses. Horses? Horses. Scary to think of what Berg’s and the religious extremists fantasies consist.
At the City Council meeting Tuesday, Berg became upset when resident Heather Gardner spoke and referred to the incident. As Gardner began her comments, Berg cut her off and asked if it was appropriate to talk about any ballot item with a polling place across the hallway.
City Attorney Joe Akulfi said it was up to the council but that it was a public meeting.
Gardner said she was appalled by Berg’s behavior on Monday night and asked that he apologize…
…Sixty-fifth Assembly District candidate Carl Wood, a Democrat, said he was present during the Monday pushing incident. He said he noticed Berg as soon as he walked up to the crowd because he looked “extremely angry and was red in the face.”
“He was getting in their face and yelling at them,” Wood said. “Then he pushed a young woman and it was just surreal because you don’t expect to see something like that.”…
…Another witness, Amanda Pombar, said she didn’t see Avakian get pushed but did see Berg yelling at people. “He was yelling in people’s faces and he pulled out a Bible and started waving it at the,” Pombar said. “It was almost like he wasn’t aware anyone was there.”
Wondering here if Berg whacked Avakian with his Bible. Hideous little creature that Berg is.
Following the incident, Beaumont police were called and a report was taken. Avakian told police officers that she wanted to place Berg under “citizen’s arrest” for the alleged assault. “You just don’t do that to someone,” Avakian said about the incident.
According to a city spokeswoman, Darci Carranza, the police department is working on completing the report and once it is completed it will be sent to the district attorney’s office for review. From there, it will be up to prosecutors on whether to pursue charges against Berg.
Rumors are that the next council meeting on November 18 should be interesting with calls for suspension of Berg from council pending the investigation, for censure, and with a possible recall in the works.
It isn’t the first issue involving Berg and Prop. 8. Last month, he expressed support for “Yes on Prop. 8,” during a council meeting. Berg had asked city staff to put a resolution supporting Prop. 8 on the agenda for council consideration and a vote. At the time, he said he sought council support for the measure because “this is about tradition and family values. Marriage should be between a man and a woman.”
Course, Berg’s fantasies consist of marriage being between a man and a horse. Berg neglects to consider the fact that gays and lesbians have family values that are just as consistent and just as strong as their heterosexual brothers and sisters.
The council declined to take a position on Prop. 8, rejecting his proposal of having the city support it.
The final vote was 4-1 in favor of tabling the homophobe’s motion.
Berg has served on the council since 1993. His current term ends in 2010.