Mike Bonin has requested Nury Martinez, the president of the Los Angeles City Council in the United States, to retire due to racist comments she made in a leaked audio recording.
Even though Martinez delivered a public apology on Sunday, Bonin continued to call for her removal and resignation from the office.
The legislator from Los Angeles stated in her apology that the remarks were uttered: “in a moment of intense frustration and anger.”
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According to sources, Martinez’s remarks stemmed from a talk regarding the redistricting process that took place in October 2021 and lasted almost one hour, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Martinez, along with Councilmembers Gil Cedillo, Kevin de León, and L.A. County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera, were present on the call where they also discussed Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who had been charged with federal corruption, according to L.A. Times.
“In a moment of intense frustration and anger, I let the situation get the best of me and I hold myself accountable for these comments. For that I am sorry,” Martinez said during her apology.
“The context of this conversation was concern over the redistricting process and concern about the potential negative impact it might have on communities of colour. My work speaks for itself. I’ve worked hard to lead this city through its most difficult time.”
De León delivered a similar public apology: “There were inappropriate statements made in the context of this discussion, and I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made in private about a colleague and his family.”
In the early hours of Monday morning, protesters surrounded the residence of Nury Martinez, chanting “Hey, hey, ho ho, Nury Martinez has to go.”
