Outraged community members plan a 2pm protest at City Hall this afternoon, following Mayor Tom Potter’s surprise decision Monday to cancel today’s public hearing on a damning report about the city’s so called Independent Police Review.

The mayor’s office has said it plans to “reschedule” today’s hearing for a work session in March, but the unmentioned difference between a “hearing” and a “work session” is that the public won’t have the opportunity to weigh in at the work session, voicing their opinions and concerns about the report.

The report, released in January, concluded that the Independent Police Review did not have the confidence or trust of the community.

It’s not clear why the council’s discussion of the report has gone private as far as the public are concerned, although it’s possible City Auditor Gary Blackmer pushed the mayor’s office to make the change, reluctant to subject himself to a barrage of criticism in public. Blackmer is currently refusing comment to this reporter after losing his temper and saying “You’re despicable,” and “fuck you,” during a bizarre episode at City Hall.

Community representatives now plan to hold a “People’s Hearing on Portland’s Police Review Board” on the front steps of city hall this afternoon at 2pm—the time set for the original hearing.

There will be a table and chairs set up for the Commissioners should they choose to attend the hearing. Among those to testify at the people’s hearing will be:

—Pastor LeRoy Haynes, Vice President of Albina Ministerial Alliance
—Maria Lisa Johnson, Executive Director of the Latino Network
—David Fidanque, Executive Director of the ACLU of Oregon
—Martin Gonzalez, spokesperson for the Justice for Jose Santos Victor Mejia Poot Committee
—Kayse Jama, Center for Intercultural Organizing
—Carol Cushman, President of the League of Women Voters of Portland
—Dan Handelman, founding member of Portland Copwatch
—Jason Renaud, Mental Health Association of Portland
—Alejandro Queral, former Director of NW Constitutional Rights Center
—Aaron Varhola, NW Constitutional Rights Center
—Marta Guembes, community member who filed appeal on behalf of Jose Mejia Poot

Copies of many of the participants’ testimony will be available for the press and will be delivered to City Council, the Council Clerk, and Auditor Gary Blackmer after the hearing.

Renaud says: “The report brings important, timely information about the operations of our IPR which should be considered publicly and responded to immediately and publicly.”

Jo Ann Bowman says: “The community was promised initally that this hybrid system would be evaluated after the first year, yet it has taken over 5 years to get a review and now the public will not have any say into the evaluation.”

Critics say the IPR is not doing enough to change a culture of opacity in the police bureau. Today’s protest follows news last night of a former cop planning to sue the police bureau, alleging she was fired for snitching a fellow officer who told her to “look the other way” while he roughed up a suspect.