HAYWARD, Calif. — A group of white supremacists virtually swarmed the public comment period of a recent Hayward City Council meeting, saying hate speech was free speech before trying to spew vulgarities, racial slurs and antisemitism. Mayor Mark Salinas immediately shut them down.
“Speakers shall not use threatening, profane or abusive language, which disrupts, disturbs or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of a city council,” Salinas said. “The city is committed to maintaining a workplace free of unlawful harassment and is mindful that city staff regularly attend council meetings.”
On Feb. 20, one virtual caller after the other began making comments about free speech before saying expletives and racial slurs or making bizarre statements about Jewish people, such as accusing rabbis of rising out of city sewers.
Salinas stopped accepting speakers relatively early and cut the speakers off as soon as it became clear their public comments were being made in bad faith.
It’s unclear if the individuals were from Hayward, though their accents suggested some were from Canada and at least one person was from the South. All of the individuals spoke virtually and appeared to be using fake names, some of independent journalists on the East Coast.
One member of the public said the council invited antisemitism to the city by divesting from companies with ties to Israel at a prior meeting.
“That night, under pressure, with all of those antisemitic and pro-Palestinian people, you kowtowed to them and you made this decision and look at what you get for it,” said one virtual speaker named Suzie.
The Union City and Fremont city councils decided to stop accepting phone and Zoom comments during the past fall after learning about similar incidents of anonymous callers making disruptive and racist statements during public comments in neighboring cities, though neither seemed to have experienced it directly.
Sonia Waraich can be reached at 510-952-7455.
