A routine meeting of the Walnut Creek City Council became a forum for antisemitic propaganda this week when multiple people called in during public comments in what appeared to be a coordinated effort.
Councilmember Kevin Wilk, who was Walnut Creek’s first Jewish mayor and City Council member, said following the June 6 meeting there were “pretty stunning comments” made by four different callers.
One caller, who identified himself as “Scottie, resident of Walnut Creek,” said “I’m calling today to address some irrational statements made by certain council members who know who they are, regarding the pro-white banners that they cried about on the news probably about six months back.”
Video of the call was posted on the Twitter account @Scottie8841, which also contains antisemitic, anti-Black, pro-white propaganda.
“Scottie” also said in the video: “I was just wondering why they think it’s OK to — it’s not OK to be pro white. If you’re a Jew or a Black, it’s applauded. It seems every time whites express love for their people, some Jew wants to shut it down.”
Shutting it down
When Mayor Cindy Silva interrupted the caller to say “Let’s be respectful, please,” “Scottie” said, “We don’t have an issue of white supremacy like you guys like to place in your Jewish media narrative. We have an overwhelming issue of Jewish supremacy that is becoming more clear daily, even to non-whites. You guys cry about the antisemitism.”
At Wilk’s urging to “terminate” the call, it was then cut off.
Wilk and the Walnut Creek council have been vocal in their opposition to displays of antisemitism. In October, Wilk spoke publicly about a group placing antisemitic leaflets in neighborhoods bordering Concord.
“We’ve made great strides in our city to be inclusive and all-welcoming, and we refute this kind of antisemitic and any hate material in every way, shape and form.”
Councilman Kevin Wilk
The literature was left in the neighborhood sometime during Sept. 27-30, during the Jewish High Holidays between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Wilk called them “awful, vile leaflets” and said he mentioned them because “we must unite as one community to push back on this.”
“We’ve made great strides in our city to be inclusive and all-welcoming, and we refute this kind of antisemitic and any hate material in every way, shape and form,” Wilk told the council during the June 6 meeting. “There’s more work to be done, but we as a council need to expose racism, antisemitism and hate crimes for what they are.”
The flyers said “every aspect of the Ukraine-Russia War is Jewish,” speculated Jews were responsible for 9/11, blamed Jews for slavery, and said they control the United States government and media, among other claims.
Similar leaflets were found last year in Danville, Palo Alto, Berkeley and Marin County.