A Southern California metropolis councilwoman who drew nationwide headlines and public backlash after posting a TikTok video during which she appeared to name on road gangs to face up in opposition to federal immigration sweeps has apologized for the submit, which she mentioned was meant to be “satirical.”
Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez made the apology throughout Tuesday evening’s Metropolis Council assembly after a public remark interval, throughout which a couple of individuals raised issues over the video.
“The message was not about violence,” she mentioned. “It was about common individuals … claiming possession of our streets in a time of nice misery and asking others, who I discussed in my video, in organizing and protesting in opposition to the hurt and violence being inflicted on our neighborhood.”
“Those who inserted a story of violence into my video weaponized it in a means that’s completely inconsistent with my life’s work,” she continued.
Within the video, which she has since taken down, the councilwoman mentioned, “I need to know the place all of the cholos are at in Los Angeles … you guys tag the whole lot up, claiming hood, and now that your hood’s being invaded by the largest gang there’s, there ain’t a peep out of you.”
“It’s everybody else who’s not concerning the gang life that’s on the market protesting and talking up,” she mentioned. “We’re on the market combating our turf, defending our turf, defending our individuals and, like, the place you at?”
The video, which got here to gentle late final month, appeared to counsel she was calling on gang members to “assist out and manage” and urging road gang leaders to “get your f— members so as.” Gonzalez additionally made reference to Florencia 13 and 18th Road, two violent road gangs in Los Angeles. Each gangs have a recognized historical past of murdering cops.
A number of audio system — most of whom gave the impression to be residents of different cities — condemned the video throughout Tuesday’s assembly.
“Whilst you can declare that the feedback by the vice mayor doesn’t symbolize the town of Cudahy, for all intents and functions, it actually does,” mentioned Brian Heyman, of Downey. “We glance as much as our elected officers and we maintain them to greater requirements, and you can not put out a video suggesting that any members of a gang … go after one other so-called gang — the members of ICE. It’s fully irresponsible to make that type of remark.”
Such feedback, he mentioned, are “ratcheting up the anger and concern, and consequently, many customs enforcement officers have been attacked.”
Gonzalez mentioned the “quick satirical TikTok video” was made on her personal time and posted to her private social media account.
“I don’t consider violence by anybody is ever the answer to any of our issues,” she mentioned Tuesday. “I need to apologize to metropolis employees, members of the council and my neighborhood that my video took consideration away from the ache our communities are experiencing and introduced pointless consideration to our metropolis.
“I additionally need acknowledge the stress and anxiousness that this brought on all of you, from getting hate emails to threats to the whole lot else, which is totally uncalled for,” she added. “However I additionally need to assert my constitutionally protected rights to free speech and I’m dedicated to utilizing my voice in a extra accountable and still-powerful method transferring ahead.”
It’s unclear when the video was made, nevertheless it emerged and unfold like wildfire on social media after a Fox Information reporter, citing unnamed sources, mentioned it had triggered a federal probe into the politician.
A spokesperson for the FBI informed The Occasions in June that the company might neither affirm nor deny that the vice mayor was underneath investigation, per company coverage.
This week’s apology piggybacks on an announcement Gonzalez’s legal professional launched a day after the video made nationwide headlines and brought on public outrage.
Her legal professional, Damian J. Martinez, wrote in an announcement that the councilwoman was difficult the Latino neighborhood to hitch 1000’s of Angelenos organizing in opposition to ongoing immigration enforcement operations.
“Importantly, Dr. Gonzalez under no circumstances inspired anybody to interact in violence,” he wrote. “Any suggestion that she advocated for violence is categorically false and with out advantage.”
