A Southern California city councilwoman who drew national headlines and public backlash after posting a TikTok video in which she appeared to call on street gangs to stand up against federal immigration sweeps has apologized for the post, which she said was meant to be “satirical.”
Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez made the apology during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting after a public comment period, during which a few people raised concerns over the video.
“The message was not about violence,” she said. “It was about regular people … claiming ownership of our streets in a time of great distress and asking others, who I mentioned in my video, in organizing and protesting against the harm and violence being inflicted on our community.”
“Those that inserted a narrative of violence into my video weaponized it in a way that is totally inconsistent with my life’s work,” she continued.
In the video, which she has since taken down, the councilwoman said, “I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles … you guys tag everything up, claiming hood, and now that your hood’s being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain’t a peep out of you.”
“It’s everyone else who’s not about the gang life that’s out there protesting and speaking up,” she said. “We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people and, like, where you at?”
The video, which came to light late last month, seemed to suggest she was calling on gang members to “help out and organize” and urging street gang leaders to “get your f— members in order.” Gonzalez also made reference to Florencia 13 and 18th Street, two violent street gangs in Los Angeles. Both gangs have a known history of murdering police officers.
Several speakers — most of whom appeared to be residents of other cities — condemned the video during Tuesday’s meeting.
“While you can claim that the comments by the vice mayor doesn’t represent the city of Cudahy, for all intents and purposes, it really does,” said Brian Heyman, of Downey. “We look up to our elected officials and we hold them to higher standards, and you cannot put out a video suggesting that any members of a gang … go after another so-called gang — the members of ICE. It’s completely irresponsible to make that kind of comment.”
Such comments, he said, are “ratcheting up the anger and fear, and as a result, many customs enforcement officers have been attacked.”
Gonzalez said the “short satirical TikTok video” was made on her own time and posted to her personal social media account.
“I don’t believe violence by anyone is ever the solution to any of our problems,” she said Tuesday. “I want to apologize to city staff, members of the council and my community that my video took attention away from the pain our communities are experiencing and brought unnecessary attention to our city.
“I also want acknowledge the stress and anxiety that this caused all of you, from getting hate emails to threats to everything else, which is completely uncalled for,” she added. “But I also want to assert my constitutionally protected rights to free speech and I’m committed to using my voice in a more responsible and still-powerful manner moving forward.”
It’s unclear when the video was made, but it emerged and spread like wildfire on social media after a Fox News reporter, citing unnamed sources, said it had triggered a federal probe into the politician.
A spokesperson for the FBI told The Times in June that the agency could neither confirm nor deny that the vice mayor was under investigation, per agency policy.
This week’s apology piggybacks on a statement Gonzalez’s attorney released a day after the video made national headlines and caused public outrage.
Her attorney, Damian J. Martinez, wrote in a statement that the councilwoman was challenging the Latino community to join thousands of Angelenos organizing against ongoing immigration enforcement operations.
“Importantly, Dr. Gonzalez in no way encouraged anyone to engage in violence,” he wrote. “Any suggestion that she advocated for violence is categorically false and without merit.”
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