Supporters, critics pack Richmond City Hall after mayor’s antisemitic posts
Richmond mayor faces backlash after posting conspiracy theories
Supporters and critics of the Richmond mayor packed city hall Tuesday night. More than 150 people signed up to speak during public comment, which went late into the night. The mayor has since apologized for his remarks, but members of the Jewish community are demanding more accountability.
RICHMOND, Calif. - Supporters and critics of Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez packed City Hall Tuesday night as controversy over antisemitic social media posts fueled hours of emotional public comment.
Facing backlash
What we know:
More than 150 people signed up to speak during the city council meeting, prompting officials to open an overflow room. Some attendees held signs calling for the mayor’s resignation, while others voiced strong support.
Martinez came under fire in December after reposting several antisemitic messages on LinkedIn following the Bondi Beach attack. The posts were later deleted. Martinez apologized, saying he shared the content without thinking or fully understanding it. His LinkedIn page now appears inactive.
"When our mayor echoes antisemitic conspiracy theories that Jews carried out their own mass murder at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, the harm is real," said Mindy Pines of Richmond. "It lands on real people and our community."
The other side:
Others defended the mayor, calling the backlash politically motivated.
"He’s not a criminal. He’s not committed any crime of any kind," said Joan Peters of Richmond. "What’s going on right now is bullying. It’s not about Jewish people nor Palestine. A hot-button issue has been chosen to stop Mayor Martinez from being mayor."
The Jewish Community Relations Council is urging the city council to adopt a resolution calling for Martinez’s removal.
"When folks post these kinds of messages, we’re very concerned about who’s reading them and what they might do or find permission to do," said Tyler Gregory, CEO of the JCRC. "We take these actions by our civic leaders very seriously."
Effort to censure fails
On Tuesday, an emergency resolution to censure the mayor failed in a 5–2 vote. Some councilmembers said there was not enough time to review it.
Martinez voted against the measure, citing concerns over how it was added to the agenda, referring to the Brown Act.
"None of the people who put this on had any conversations with me about that," Martinez said. "Instead, they chose to do something which they say is not punitive, but it is punitive. And so, because of the lack of respect and the rule of law, I will have to vote no."
Some residents pointed to Martinez’s record.
"He has made tremendous progress in many areas," said Zoe Rivka Panagopoulos of Richmond. "Even if you are not a person who supports Palestine, he has supported low-income housing and our immigrant communities."
Richmond’s primary organized Jewish congregation said the mayor has reached out to meet.
"In Judaism, repair is called teshuva," said Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller of Temple Beth Hillel in Richmond. "It means return, and it also means answer, and it starts with acknowledgment and apology. So I hope our meeting will begin a real process."
The JCRC said even a censure would be a meaningful first step, adding it wants concrete actions including education, engagement, and ongoing dialogue with the Jewish community.
The vice mayor said the council is likely to take up the censure item at its January 20th meeting.
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Jewish group calls for Richmond mayor to resign over posts
A Bay Area advocacy group is calling on the mayor of Richmond to resign, citing a series of controversial social media posts about a recent mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.