Los Angeles council members have called for Democrat Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez to resign following an audio leak where the City Council President made racist remarks regarding redistricting of the city.
The conversation, which was leaked on Sunday, took place last October during a meeting on redistricting with her fellow Latino councilmembers, who were unaware of being recorded.
During the meeting, Martinez described Councilman Mike Bonin's son, who is black, as an “accessory” and as a “Parece changuito,” which in English translates to “like a monkey,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Martinez added that Bonin's son was not being raised correctly by his white parents and that he needed to be corrected: “[t]hey're raising him like a little white kid. I was like, this kid needs a beatdown. Let me take him around the corner and then I'll bring him back.”
BOMBSHELL REPORT: Leaked Audio reveals Los Angeles City Council President [D] Nury Martinez CLAIMED FELLOW DEMOCRAT'S BLACK SON IS 'Like a Monkey' – Audio also caught her referencing DA George Gascon, 'F**k that Guy, He’s with the Blacks'..
DEM LEADERSHIP DEAD SILENT..
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) October 10, 2022
The Councilwoman then proceeded to call Bonin a “little bitch” when conversing with Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera.
De León added that Councilman Bonin took his son around like “when Nury brings her little yard bag or the Louis Vuitton bag.”
In addition to making racist comments towards blacks, Martinez also attacked Oaxacans and said, “F— that guy … He’s with the Blacks” about Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon, as reported by CBS News.
In response to the Los Angeles Times piece published Sunday, the Bonin family issued a statement calling on the councilwoman and her fellow compatriots in the meeting to resign from their posts, per CNN.
“We are appalled, angry, and absolutely disgusted that Nury Martinez attacked our son with horrific racist slurs, and talked about her desire to physically harm him. It’s vile, abhorrent, and utterly disgraceful,” Councilman Mike Bonin wrote. “The City Council needs to remove her as Council President immediately, and she needs to resign from office. Any parent reading her comments will know she is unfit for public office.”
Our family statement about today's ugly and hateful news. pic.twitter.com/0fPPXwsS5B
— Mike Bonin (@mikebonin) October 9, 2022
“As parents of a Black child, we condemn the entirety of the recorded conversation, which displayed a repeated and vulgar anti-Black sentiment, and a coordinated effort to weaken Black political representation in Los Angeles,” Bonin continued, adding, “The conversation revealed several layers of contempt for the people of Los Angeles, and a cynical, ugly desire to divide the City rather than serve it.”
For Martinez's part, she issued an apology to NBC4 stating, “In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry.”
“The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of color,” she continued. “My work speaks for itself. I've worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.”
In addition, Councilman De Leon issued a similar apology stating, “There were comments made in the context of this meeting that are wholly inappropriate; and I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private. I've reached out to that colleague personally. On that day, I fell short of the expectations we set for our leaders — and I will hold myself to a higher standard.”
Councilwoman Martinez has yet to resign for her comments, but it goes to show that even leaders who pledge to support racial justice and equality are in fact doing so only for power. Los Angelinos should demand her resignation and hopefully elect members of the city council that actually care about the various communities within the city.
You Can Follow Sterling on Twitter Here
