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Disgraced Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León was caught on video attacking an activist at a Christmas tree lighting event Friday night.
The video, posted by progressive group roots Action, shows de León – who has faced calls to resign since he was caught on tape making racist remarks – fighting with a man in a hallway.
As de León walks through the hall, he hears calls of ‘Resign, Kevin!’ as he’s surrounded by protesters, including one who calls him a racist.
He then appears to push Jason Reedy – a local organizer with the People’s City Council, a left wing group that describes itself as an ‘abolitionist, anticapitalist and anti-imperialist’ – as he moves through a door. Once through, the two men are face-to-face, with Reedy holding his hands above de León’s head.
De Leon, seemingly backed into a corner, then appears to push Reedy away to the point of taking him to the opposite wall of the hallway where he pushes him down. The councilmember then grabs Reedy and appears to push him further down the hallway.
Police said the incident took place at around 6:30 p.m. Friday but that everyone involved had fled before authorities could get there.
Shakeer Rahman, an attorney who represents Jason Reedy, one of the alleged victims, said: ‘Kevin de León is a disgrace. Video footage clearly shows him and his supporters initiating this assault while Mr. Reedy stands with his hands up.
‘Not only has Kevin de León lost all political legitimacy, his claims that he was the one attacked here simply underscores how he’s lost touch with reality.’
De León said he was the one attacked, not the activists, in a statement: ‘This evening a staff member, volunteer, and I were violently and physically assaulted by self-proclaimed activists at a community holiday event to the dismay of a multitude of families and children who were there to celebrate a Christmas tree lighting and to receive toys and food.’
De León’s spokesman, Pete Brown, said that the activists were trying to provoke him when they assaulted him.
No arrests have been made and police are still investigating after being unable to get to the scene of the fight in time, according to Fox News.
The incident came after de León attended his first City Council meeting Friday in nearly two months since a scandal broke over racist remarks by elected officials.
Three council members walked out after de León showed up, including Mike Bonin, whose black son was called a ‘monkey’ by former council President Nury Martinez in a meeting that de Leon attended last year.
Disgraced Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León was caught on video attacking an activist as a Christmas tree lighting event Friday night
In the videos, posted by progressive group roots Action, shows de León – who has faced calls to resign since he was caught on tape making racist remarks – fighting with a man in the hallway of the ceremony in Lincoln Heights
He then appears to push Jason Reedy, a local organizer (pictured right), as de León moves through a door while still irate. Once through the door, they are face-to-face with Reedy holding his hands above de Leon’s head
Bonin tweeted Friday that de León was a ‘vile racist’ who should resign and said he left the council chamber along with Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Nithya Raman.
Dozens of people showed up to support de León, while others protested his appearance and shouted for him to leave. Police removed two men over concerns a fight could break out.
After a few chaotic minutes, a 45-minute recess was called and de León wasn’t in his chair when the session resumed, the Los Angeles Times reported.
It’s the first time de León has appeared at a meeting a recording surfaced in October of Martinez, outgoing Councilman Gil Cedillo, de León and a labor union leader participating in a closed-door meeting in which racist language was used to mock colleagues while the participants schemed to protect Latino political strength in council districts.
The councilmembers were involved in a secretly recorded 2021 meeting – which is now under investigation for potentially being recorded illegally – laced with crude, bigoted comments, in which the Latino Democrats schemed to protect their political clout in the redrawing of council districts at the expense of blacks and renters.
The council cannot expel members – it can only suspend a member when criminal charges are pending.
While a censure is largely symbolic, it adds new weight to the pressure coming from across the political spectrum for Cedillo and de León to resign.
The 12-0 vote to censure former council President Nury Martinez (pictured) and Councilmen Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León represented the strongest step the council can take to publicly reprimand them
The uproar began with the release nearly two weeks ago of a previously unknown recording of a 2021 private meeting involving Martinez, Councilmen Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo
Councilman Paul Koretz said he remained in shock from listening to the offensive remarks that he said had severely damaged trust in government. Like it or not, he lamented that the recording reflected on the entire council.
‘It’s going to take us years to rebuild this trust,’ Koretz said before the vote.
Councilman Curren Price called the censure a ‘crucial step in a long road to healing’ and the harshest measure the council could take, lacking the ability to expel members.
Martinez resigned shortly after the release of the tape earlier this month, along with a powerful labor leader, Ron Herrera, who also attended the meeting.
However, Cedillo and de León have resisted widespread calls to step down, including from President Joe Biden, and have become political pariahs among their colleagues.
Councilman Paul Koretz said he remained in shock from listening to the offensive remarks that he said had severely damaged trust in government. Like it or not, he lamented that the recording reflected on the entire council. ‘It’s going to take us years to rebuild this trust,’ Koretz said before the vote
Councilman Curren Price called the censure a ‘crucial step in a long road to healing’ and the harshest measure the council could take, lacking the ability to expel members
Police tape put up by protesters blocks the entrance of Los Angeles City Hall, Wednesday, October 19
Anyone involved in the meeting ‘does not belong in elected office,’ Koretz said.
A prior council meeting was called into recess to allow police to clear chanting protesters, which has frequently accompanied council business since the scandal.
A small but noisy group crowded into the main aisle of an otherwise mostly empty chamber, banged water bottles on a lectern, whooped and shouted in what appeared to be an effort to shut down the meeting. They unrolled a large sign calling the council ‘illegitimate.’
‘Justice now!’ they bellowed. ‘Shut down!’
That led to a standoff in which about 20 protesters continued shouting as police officers watched over the group. Eventually, the room was cleared.
Council President Paul Krekorian warned the protesters they would not deter the council’s business. ‘We will continue to do the work of the people of Los Angeles,’ he said.
A prior council meeting was called into recess to allow police to clear chanting protesters, which has frequently accompanied council business since the scandal
A small but noisy group crowded into the main aisle of an otherwise mostly empty chamber, banged water bottles on a lectern, whooped and shouted in what appeared to be an effort to shut down the meeting
Council President Paul Krekorian (pictured) warned protesters they would not deter the council’s business
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