A coalition of pro-Palestinian activists criticized Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday after he publicly accused them of being funded by Iran without providing any evidence.
In recent weeks, Whitmire has floated the idea that the pro-Palestinian activists demonstrating outside his home were “professional, paid protesters” funded by questionable sources. On Wednesday, he reiterated his accusation. again without offering any evidence.
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“I’m just relying on the evidence from the Department of Homeland Security and other departments, some higher than the city administration, that there is a connection to Iran,” Whitmire said during a press conference on Wednesday. “If that’s true, it’s dangerous.”
The mayor’s office has declined to provide evidence or details of his claim. Mary Benton, Whitmire’s spokeswoman, told the Chronicle the mayor frequently receives security briefings from law enforcement and intelligence agencies but cannot make that information public.
That statement did nothing to assuage advocates’ concerns. Nishu Siddique, an organizer with Houston For Palestinian Liberation, denied receiving payments from foreign forces. She questioned why Whitmire made that allegation during a televised news broadcast. conference when it came to sensitive security information that he could not disclose.
“For him to make that vague assumption … is reckless. It’s dangerous. And I would argue that he’s actually doing it on purpose,” Siddique said.
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On Friday, Siddique’s group and a number of other local organizations released a statement demanding Whitmire issued a formal apology. The letter was signed by, among others, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, Houston Jews for Palestine and the Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national Muslim civil rights organization.
“Since October 2023, there has been a rise in anti-Arab sentiment and hate crimes against the community in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia,” the letter said. “Serious allegations without evidence made by a public official are irresponsible and put MENASA communities at risk, contributing to further harm.”
The groups also denounced Whitmire because they believed he had a “documented history of discrimination” against disadvantaged populations.
They pointed to a recent incident in which Whitmire, as part of his approach to METRO, said illegal immigrants from Gulfton were not welcome at the Galleria, which drew criticism.
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Benton had previously explained that the mayor’s comment came in the context of broader travel patterns and was based on feedback his team had collected from local residents.
The letter also referenced Whitmire’s speech at a June event at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center in which he referred to local pro-Palestinian activists as “some of your enemies” and touted his refusal to respond to their call for a ceasefire solution, chron.com reported.
Benton responded at the time that the mayor “understands that the Jewish community refers to Hamas and its supporters as such” and that his remarks were “consistent with the words and views of other speakers that evening.”
On Friday, Benton refuted the letter’s claim that Whitmire made discriminatory remarks and said those other incidents had “nothing to do with the current issue” regarding paid protesters. She also said Whitmire had only been informed that some of the pro-Palestinian protesters were being paid, not the entire coalition.
The controversy arose amid heated discussions about a proposed ordinance that would prohibit demonstrations within 200 feet of a specific residential building. The City Council postponed voting on the measure this week at the mayor’s suggestion after some council members and experts raised concerns about the impact on constitutionally protected freedom of expression.
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Whitmire defended his proposal, saying that repeated demonstrations by pro-Palestinian groups in front of his own residence had been disruptive and raised security concerns.
Several council members, however, expressed concern that the proposed ordinance could single out a particular group of protesters.
“I just wish we would stop focusing on one group of people or blaming them intentionally or not,” Council Member Letitia Plummer said during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. “I think that clouds the issue and I think it takes away people’s civil rights to demonstrate and speak out about what is important to them.”
