New efforts to try to control violence during demonstrations in Oakland met fierce resistance Tuesday night as activists were removed from a meeting to discuss the banning of certain items at protests that could be used as weapons.

The Oakland City Council Public Safety Committee was considering a new law Tuesday evening aimed at banning protesters from carrying what some call "tools of violence" to demonstrations.

At recent Occupy Oakland protests, police said they have been seeing more and more homemade shields being used by protesters to deflect crowd control devices like "flash bang" grenades and tear gas. There were also concerns about other objects such as aerosol paint cans, sticks and camera tripods that could be used as weapons against officers.

Before a vote on the ban could take place, a loud group of dozens of Occupy protesters disrupted the meeting at around 9:30 p.m., forcing police to clear the council chambers.

The demonstrators came to speak out against the city ordinance banning a list of items from protests. The shields being used by some protesters received much of the attention

"In many demonstrations, there's actually a forward movement toward police lines and it allows people to hide behind a shield and then throw things from that protection at the police," said Oakland Safety Committee Chairwoman Pat Kernighan

During the meeting's public comment period, people who identified themselves as occupy members bristled at the idea of banning such materials.

"I usually carry one [a shield]. I'll continue to carry one and there's nothing you guys can do to stop me," said Occupy Oakland protester Michael Davis.

Lawyer David Briggs claimed such a sweeping ban would be illegal because of vague descriptions in the ordinance.

"Is a tri pod? Is a mic boom? Is a water bottle?" asked Briggs. "All those things are banned."

Kim Beavers of GDPR Radio said she works as an independent journalist and claimed her camera actually protected her from an officer's baton.

"This is not a tool of violence. This is a tool of freedom of speech," argued Beavers.

McRaven's Shoe Shine is one of the businesses in Frank Ogawa Plaza, an area considered to be "ground zero" for many Occupy Oakland protests. You could still see a cracked window Tuesday. The shop's owner Steven McRaven said it was vandalism from an Occupy protest in February.

He supports the proposed ban on protest implements which would carry a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

"I don't think it is fair for them to carry sticks and stuff," said McRaven. "It gets out of hand sometimes out here."

Speakers Tuesday night blamed police for demonstration violence, saying officers often overreact with brute force.

Kernighan said the ordinance is modeled after similar laws in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

"Our feeling generally is that if these items are not present at a peaceful protest, there's less likely to be violence on either side," explained Kernighan.

Since the disruption of the meeting prevented a vote, Kernighan said late Tuesday night she was uncertain what her next plan of action would be. Kernighan explained she might try to schedule another public safety committee meeting or she might simply present the ordinance for a vote before the full city council.

Occupy protesters said if ordinance did eventually pass, they would find other ways to get their message across.