A censure effort returns as Richmond’s mayor offers his own remedy

The Richmond City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to formally censure Mayor Eduardo Martinez for sharing social media content that community leaders say promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories.

This comes as Martinez submitted his own agenda item proposing a “restorative process” including antisemitism training.

The censure resolution, sponsored by Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda and Councilmember Jamelia Brown, charges that Martinez “shared and amplified social media content that advanced conspiracy theories and generalized claims attributing responsibility for antisemitism and violence against Jews” following the December attack at Bondi Beach, Australia.

The vote comes two weeks after the council rejected an attempt to add an emergency censure item to its January 6 agenda, a contentious meeting where dozens of speakers filled city hall for hours of public comment focused on the mayor’s conduct.

The motion failed after receiving only two yes votes, with several council members citing procedural concerns and saying they needed more time to review the resolution.

The controversy has drawn widespread condemnation from elected officials across the Bay Area. More than 80 current and former elected officials, including the mayors of Walnut Creek, El Cerrito, Moraga, and Brentwood, signed a “Unity Letter” in late December stating Martinez’s posts “language rooted in dangerous antisemitic tropes and unacceptable from any public official.”

The letter called on Martinez to engage privately with Jewish community leaders, issue a public apology, and host antisemitism education for city leadership, or resign. “Should Mayor Martinez be unwilling or unable to take these steps, he should step down from his role as mayor in the best interest of the community,” the letter said.

The censure resolution states that Martinez’s LinkedIn posts “promoted false-flag conspiracy theories and reposted messages tacitly supporting the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.” Council members report receiving thousands of emails calling for action against conduct they say “substantially violated the public trust.”

Martinez’s competing agenda item proposes a “restorative process” that includes antisemitism training led by educators recommended by Temple Beth Hillel. His proposal acknowledges “recent social media posts reshared by the Mayor that used and spread antisemitic ideas.”

“This initiative aims to guard Richmond against the national increase in antisemitic speech and actions, including violence, as well as the ways that it is used to divide coalitions that are dedicated to social progress, a vital part of Richmond’s history and present,” Martinez’s agenda item states.

The censure resolution calls on Martinez to publicly acknowledge the harmful content, participate in 16 hours of antisemitism training by March 31, and “honestly analyze if he is able to continue leading our city fairly and equitably for all of our residents.”

Martinez’s proposal requests that he meet with Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller at least twice more in the first quarter of 2026 and issue a public apology at a council meeting and in a local newspaper. Martinez has already apologized on social media, writing: “I want to apologize for sharing my previous posts without thinking. Of course, we know that antisemitism was here before the creation of the state of Israel.”

The clash over Martinez’s conduct has roiled Richmond, with some supporters viewing the censure effort as an attack designed to fracture progressive coalitions.

Rob Lipton, a longtime activist, suggested at a January 10 protest in front of Chevron’s Richmond refinery that the controversy wasn’t really about antisemitism or concerns about the mayor himself.

“It’s the problem of the good example. Richmond’s the most left or top two left cities in the country. That’s not an accident,” Lipton said.

Lipton warned that outside forces were targeting Richmond’s progressive leadership and urged supporters to attend Tuesday’s council meeting.

“We’ve been made visible to the forces that are going to be coming for us, and we’re going to be trying to push back,” Lipton said. “We’re going to have to deal with this thoughtfully in a very organized way."

Residents can attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting in person at Richmond City Hall, 440 Civic Center Plaza, or watch online. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

YOU GET MORE WITH A PAID SUBSCRIPTION

Your subscription enables Grandview Independent to deliver more:

More time devoted to in-depth reporting
Longer, more comprehensive stories
Greater coverage of what matters to our community

Quality journalism costs money. Subscriptions allow us to keep reporting the stories that matter, without paywalls getting in the way of critical community information.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month

FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent