Public Outcry for Councilmembers’ Resignation
An outraged crowd of protestors inside the Los Angeles City Council Chambers on Tuesday called for the resignation of councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin de León, and Gil Cedillo.
Los Angeles City council members Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo both attended the city council meeting at the Los Angeles City Hall after the leaked audio of both members and former council president Nury Martinez made racist remarks towards colleague Mike Bonin’s son and Oaxaceñas in K-Town which led many Angelenos for their resignation on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022 at Los Angeles, Calif. (Danilo Perez | The Corsair)
On Tuesday, Oct. 11, a crowd of protestors disrupted a Los Angeles City Council meeting, calling for the resignation of councilmembers Kevin de Leon, Gil Cedillo and Nury Martinez following a leaked audio recording.
The audio of a nearly year-old private discussion was leaked to the website Reddit, in which the three councilmembers and Ron Herrera, former president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor were part of a conversation in which racist language was used to describe Indigenous people, Black people, Jewish people and other communities as well as councilmember Mike Bonin's son, who is Black. The four public officials also had talked about potential plots for redistricting, which is currently being investigated by the California Department of Justice.
The start of the meeting was delayed as protestors demanded for de León and Cedillo to leave the chambers. “De Leon get up and leave. This meeting cannot start until he leaves,” one protestor shouted.
Martinez, who had stepped down as Council President, was not present at the meeting, announcing early Tuesday that she needed to “take a leave of absence and take some time to have an honest and heartfelt conversation with family, my constituents and community leaders.” At 10:41 a.m., De León exited the chambers to which the protesters applauded. Some cheered "bye uncle Pedro” and sang "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye."
Los Angeles City councilman Mike Bonin chokes back tears as he gave a statement regarding the leaked audio involving former council president Nury Martinez and councilman Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo which the three members made racist remarks towards Bonin’s son and Oaxaceñas in K-Town. Bonin responds to their colleagues apologies over the audio by stating “First you must resign and then ask for forgiveness” on Tuesday, Oct. 11,2022 at Los Angeles, Calif. (Danilo Perez | The Corsair)
Wiping tears from his face, Bonin said, “these people stabbed us and shot us and cut the spirit of Los Angeles.” He addressed the racist remarks the three council members made about his son.
“As a white father to a Black child you try to do your best to be a parent and an ally. I knew I did not want this story about anti-black racism to be centered on an angry white man,” he said.
Bonin's speech pacified the crowd and Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell began the meeting with public comment. The first speaker from the crowd, Candido M., condemned Martinez and said, “we will not be allowed to be divided.” Yet, as he began to address the crowd asking for them to “please those of you in this community, you have to forgive.” he was booed.
Assemblymember Issac Bryan joined the protestors in showing solidarity with Bonin.
“I am a black adopted child, Mike, so I feel for your son and in this moment I’m so glad he gets to see you fighting and I’m here to fight with him,” Bryan said. “Brown political power can’t be rooted in black erasure and anti-indigenous speech and homophobic speech. We deserve better.”
Pastor Stephen “Cue” Jn-marie, said “Latinos cannot be the new face of racism and neither can black folks. Whenever people of color enter into the system, we begin to adapt to the system rather than dismantle the white supremacist system.”
Faith organizer and minister Reverend Walter Contreras representing the group CUE, Clergy United Economic Justice said, “I have a relationship with all of them. When they decided to grab more power, they decided not on the side of everyone but on the side of their own. They do not represent us Latinos. And the better moral thing for them to do is to resign and exercise moral authority if they want to leave a legacy. You cannot have an apology and confession without amendment.”
On Wednesday, Martinez announced her resignation in a statement, stating, “It is with a broken heart that I resign my seat for Council District.” In the statement she also said she apologizes "to the people I hurt with my words.”
De León and Cedillo have not yet resigned, but have been asked to by the public, fellow councilmembers and the President of the United States, Joe Biden.
