In response to a leaked 2021 recording in which three Los Angeles City Council members and a labor leader made disparaging remarks about Blacks and other groups during a discussion of redistricting, protests have been held not only at City Hall but also at the Boyle Heights field office of Councilmember Kevin de León, one of the participants in the discussion. Councilmember Nury Martinez, who made most of the offending comments, has resigned, but de León and Councilmember Gil Cedillo have resisted calls for them to do the same.
Mario Correa, a member of J-Town Action and Solidarity who was critical of the city clearing homeless encampments in Little Tokyo, told City News Service on Thursday that he isn’t surprised that de León has not yet resigned: “He thinks that L.A. doesn’t care. He thinks that L.A. will stand for it. He’s gambling, and it’s up to the people to put on the pressure.”
Over the weekend, members of Black Lives Matter also staged a protest outside the councilman’s home in Eagle Rock.
De León represents Council District 14, which includes Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights, Little Tokyo, El Sereno, Highland Park, Garvanza, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Monterey Hills and Downtown. A former member of the State Senate and State Assembly, he was elected to the City Council in October 2020.
Photo by MARIO GERSHOM REYES/Rafu Shimpo