EDITOR'S NOTE: This article contains vulgar language.
An Aransas Pass man was removed from the podium at Tuesday's Corpus Christi City Council meeting after refusing to follow meeting protocol and cursing at Mayor Paulette Guajardo.
Jason Followell was asked to identify himself by name and city before addressing the council, as required by meeting rules. Instead, he told the council he identifies as "We the People" and said his city was "America."
Council members and city staff repeatedly reminded Followell of the requirement, but he continued to reject the request.
"America, Texas. City? None of your business," Followell said.
After a prolonged back-and-forth, he was addressed by name and given a limited time to speak.
Followell used his time to criticize the council's enforcement of decorum rules, claiming they were used selectively to stifle dissent. He argued that decorum is "not a right" and "not even a law," contrasting it with the First Amendment's protections for "uncomfortable speech" and "speech that calls out corruption."
The confrontation escalated near the end of his remarks when Guajardo told him his time was up and asked him to leave. Followell responded angrily, cursing at the mayor, calling her a "f*****g c*** b***h" before officers were called to remove him from the podium.
WATCH THE FULL INTERACTION IN COUNCIL TODAY
Followell has previously attended Corpus Christi City Council meetings to voice criticism of the city's policies. Tuesday's exchange drew attention for its prolonged defiance of meeting protocol and the verbal clash with the mayor.
WATCH VIDEO OF FOLLOWELL'S OUTBURSTS DURING A JAN. 2024 ARANSAS PASS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
This isn't Followell's first time cursing at a public official during a public meeting. In Jan. 2024, Followell disrupted an Aransas Pass City Council meeting when he cursed out then-police Chief Eric Blanchard by saying, "Chief Blanchard, you piece of s**t!"
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