07 Jan In First Meeting Since Controversy, Richmond Decides Not to Censure Mayor For Now

By Samantha Kennedy

During a tense Tuesday meeting that was dominated by public opinion about social media posts made by Mayor Eduardo Martinez, the Richmond City Council decided to not yet consider censuring the city’s top elected official.

Around 150 people spoke for and against Martinez, who drew criticism following multiple LinkedIn reposts that labeled the Bondi Beach attack a “false flag” and a claim that “the root cause” of antisemitism is the behavior of Israel and Israelis. Another said the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack was “engineered and manufactured” by Israel to “justify genocide on Gaza.”

Martinez’s supporters at the meeting, the first since the posts were publicized, said that the calls for the mayor to be censured or resign were motivated by attempts to silence him because of his pro-Palestine stance.

“The mayor’s reposts were hurtful and minimizing the loss of life and promoted tropes of an Israeli conspiracy. We appreciate the mayor’s apology and openness to address these concerns. The attack by the JCRC is mainly due to his support for Palestine,” said Seth Morrison, a spokesperson for Jewish Voice for Peace Bay Area. “The antidote to anti-semitism is education, not cancellation.”

JCRC is the Jewish Community Relations Council, which called Martinez antisemitic and demanded he resign.

Martinez apologized for the posts when they came to light, saying in a statement that he “failed to fully read and understand the meaning” of the posts and “inadvertently spread content that was factually inaccurate, conspiratorial, and portrayed Judaism in a negative light.”

Several speakers said the apology was sufficient. But Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda and council member Jamelia Brown said in their co-authored emergency item that thousands of others had contacted council members requesting the mayor’s resignation or removal over the “antisemitic conduct.”

City Council voted 5-2 not to consider the censure, with members saying they had yet to review the proposal or were concerned with the process of how it had been brought forward. With an emergency item, members can decide to discuss a topic without the usual notice if the body believes it meets the urgency requirements.

Martinez said that Zepeda and Brown approached him shortly ahead of the meeting to discuss the resolution but had not reached out earlier to talk about “what [he] thought [he] did.”

“I don’t think process is being taken seriously here,” said Martinez. “Because of the lack of respect and the lack of rule of law, I will have to vote no.”

Zepeda said that the censure could be considered at the next meeting, but it’s unclear if the resolution, as it stands today, would receive the votes to pass. Claudia Jimenez said she would vote against the resolution, and Doria Robinson said it currently “leans towards criticizing political speech.”

“This to me needs more time. I think that we do need to say and send a clear message about what those reposts did,” said Robinson.

The current resolution would require Martinez to attend training on antisemitism, be removed from committees, and donate part of his pay to a nonprofit.

Despite the public support for Martinez, Brandon Evans, a candidate for Robinson’s seat in the next election, said it was “not an organic display of community unity.” In a statement after the meeting, Evans said he was concerned about a culture that enables Martinez’s comments.

Council member Sue Wilson refuted the assertion that the support was not organic in a social media comment to Evans.

“A lot of Richmonders appreciate the decades of work that Eduardo has put into rent control, immigrant rights, kids programs, pollution reduction … so I think they are inclined to show him some grace here. Most of the criticism of Eduardo came from people who don’t live in Richmond,” Wilson said in the comment.

Martinez, who has led and been part of successful efforts to pass the country’s first ceasefire, establish a sister city with Sebastia, Palestine, and divest from Israel-linked companies, has been critical of Israel’s actions, which some scholars and experts have found to be genocide. Israel has denied claims of genocide.