South Pasadena council members targeted by inflammatory social media posts over war in Gaza

Leanne Suter Image
Friday, June 14, 2024
South Pasadena councilmembers targeted by social media posts
Inflammatory posts on social media have accused several South Pasadena City Council members of "enabling genocide."

SOUTH PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- Inflammatory posts on social media targeting several South Pasadena City Council members are raising concerns.

"Inciting divisiveness and very angry rhetoric is just not the way to go," Council member Janet Braun said. "I feel like we need to call our community together and all agree this is not OK - for any issue."

Braun is one of the council members targeted in the posts by the group SGV Progressive Action. One post accuses Council members Braun, Jon Primuth, Evelyn Zneimer and Jack Donovan of "enabling genocide."

"While Council Member Michael Cacciotti supported the ceasefire and made a motion to direct staff to work on it, the rest of the council declined, offering excuses and reasons for their decision to do nothing," the post said. "They deserve to be publicly shamed."

The posts came a day after a contentious City Council meeting over a Gaza cease-fire resolution.

The council's decision not to adopt the motion prompted outrage.

"I did hear 'Janet Braun, we're gonna find out where you live' and 'Janet Braun, we're gonna come to your house,'" Braun told Eyewitness News.

At 1 a.m. Tuesday, Braun and her family were awoken to the sounds of someone apparently trying to break in. Footprints were visible in the middle of their door.

The potential intruder left behind food and a busted front door.

It's unclear if it was connected to the heated City Council meeting.

Either way, Braun said the rhetoric is going too far.

"I really encourage people to engage with their communities and to set forth what their positions are," Braun said. "But let's get back to civil discourse in a productive manner because of course we can accomplish more if we can be productive."