Caught on Camera: Oakland Official Justifies Outburst and Gesture at Council Meeting

Heated exchange at Oakland council meeting draws scrutiny

On Tuesday night in Oakland, California, District 7 City Councilmember Ken Houston engaged in a heated exchange during a council discussion about the city's use of Flock license plate reader cameras. The incident occurred while Houston was speaking and addressing Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins.

During his remarks, Houston was interrupted by hecklers in the audience. In response, he said, "Excuse me! Let me finish what I'm saying. Shut up." This interaction became one of the focal points of subsequent criticism directed at him.

Middle finger gesture captured and challenged

In addition to his comments, Houston was recorded on camera apparently making a middle finger gesture toward a speaker during the public comment portion of the same Tuesday meeting. An unidentified speaker later referenced the gesture at the meeting, stating, "Do you think we didn't notice you flipping off the audience from your seat just now?"

In an exclusive interview conducted after Tuesday night's meeting, a reporter asked Houston whether he had intentionally flipped someone off during the council session. Houston replied, "Not on purpose, but now that it's done? Yes, I did." He explained that he believed someone was filming him and referred to a clip of the incident that was posted on X by a blogger using the name "The Oakland Observer."

Houston publicly defends his conduct

Houston stated that he was elected by residents of his East Oakland district because of what he described as his confrontational style. He said that the people who voted for him chose him "to be who I am" and suggested that anyone who disapproved could pursue a recall. He said he had no reason to apologize for his behavior at the meeting, asserting that the criticism he is receiving is not coming from people who live in his district and stating that those critics are not his constituents.

Houston also said he is not willing to accept being spoken to disrespectfully and indicated that he would respond in kind if confronted with profanity. He added that during his first year in office his unconventional approach has helped him accomplish significant work, and he shared video of the confrontation on his Instagram page. In the video, he challenged people he described as being from Portland who were "out here" in East Oakland, and he rejected attempts to "bully" him, again suggesting that those who disagreed with him could seek to recall him.

Colleague voices concern over professional standards

Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife, who said she has known Houston for more than 20 years, stated that she spoke with him as recently as the previous week about the level of professionalism required for the office. Fife said she believes Houston wants what is best for Oakland but expressed concern that his behavior is becoming a distraction from discussions about how the city is developing.

No formal complaints reported after meeting

After Tuesday night's Oakland City Council meeting, the city was asked whether any formal complaints had been filed against Houston. According to a city representative, no complaints had been submitted to the City Administrator's office regarding the incident. The representative also said the city was still awaiting information from the Public Ethics Commission.