Mayor Eduardo Martinez of Richmond, California, has repeatedly drawn criticism for his controversial statements and visible support of extremist causes. Earlier this year he attended a pro‑Palestinian gathering and spoke over a microphone that had also been handed to a known terrorist, while wearing a red cap emblazoned with “Death Death to the IDF.”
The mayor’s remarks were particularly alarming when he openly defended the Hamas assault on October 7, which killed more than 1,200 Israelis, and he likened the situation to a playground where “I would be a Palestinian … the part of me that couldn’t endure the abuse anymore…would be Hamas,” according to a report by The Jewish News of Northern California. He later added that his frustration had boiled over with what he described as “the ferocity of retaliation.”
Martinez’s social‑media activity has extended beyond that event. He has shared conspiracy theories concerning the Bondi Beach terror attack and posted images flaunting the “DD TT IDF” slogan on a hat, all while a small smile crossed his face.
In January 2024, he announced that his office would close “in solidarity with this week’s global strike for Palestine,” a gesture that received praise from thousands.
The mayor also lifted a Palestinian flag over California’s state flag—a move he described as commemorating a new sister‑city partnership with Sabastia, a village in the Northern West Bank known for historic sites that some Israeli groups aim to annex. That post garnered tens of thousands of likes on Instagram.
Concurrently, other public displays have added to the controversy. The same conference featured Hossam Shaheen, a convicted terrorist who spent over two decades in Israeli prison for an attempted murder plot and was released under a temporary Israel‑Hamas ceasefire in early 2025.
In light of the December 14 Australian terror attack, community members are calling for Martinez to step down from his position as mayor.
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