Nury Martinez, the President of the Los Angeles City Council in the United States, has been urged to resign by Councilmember Mike Bonin due to racist remarks she made in leaked tape.
Despite Martinez’s public apologies on Sunday, Bonin continued to push for her ouster as president and resignation.
The LA lawmaker apologized, saying she made the remarks “in a time of extreme frustration and rage.”
According to reports, the comments Martinez referenced came from a conversation that happened around October 2021, which had to do with the redistricting process in a discussion which lasted about an hour, according to the Los Angeles Times.
According to L.A. Times, Martinez along with other 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 accused on charges of federal corruption.
“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 similarly issued a public apology: “There were comments made in the context of this meeting that are wholly inappropriate, and I regret appearing to condone and even contribute to certain insensitive comments made about a colleague and his family in private.”
Meanwhile, protesters have flooded the Martinez’s residence demanding her resignation in the wee hours of Monday chanting “Hey, hey, ho ho, Nury Martinez has got to go.”
