A Colorado legislator apologized Friday for not explicitly condemning the deadly terror attacks in Israel last week when he attended a pro-Palestine rally, amid calls from Republicans that he be expelled from the legislature.
“People who are harmed and suffering deserve our respect, and I have to apologize for the way that I caused harm to (the) community by not making that explicitly clear,” Rep. Tim Hernández, a Denver Democrat, said in a video posted to social media late Friday afternoon. “… My values have and always will remain as solidarity and appreciation for the fundamental value of human life and a collective fight against oppression.”
The video is Hernández’s second public statement since he attended the rally outside of the state Capitol on Oct. 7, the same day that Hamas killed hundreds of people in Israel and kidnapped scores more. The lawmaker got into a heated exchange with an opponent of the rally, and video shows Hernández condemning “colonial violence,” reiterating his support for Palestine and refusing to explicitly condemn the attacks or Hamas.
After the video spread online, Hernández’s social media engagement with posts about the attack also drew criticism, including a post about Israel being “humiliated.” Republicans and some Democrats, including Israeli-born Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, publicly criticized him.
Hernández, who did not respond to messages from The Denver Post this week, issued a first statement Monday, condemning war and opposing violence against civilians. The next day, the top House Democrats — Speaker Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran — said they were “deeply disappointed” that Hernández did not condemn Hamas.
On Friday, Hernández began his video with an explicit condemnation of the group “and their attack on innocent civilians.” He apologized for his social media use and said he hadn’t been “engaged with impacted community members.”
Michaelson Jenet said she spoke with Hernández on Monday, when she released a statement criticizing his attendance at the rally and his social media usage. That conversation, she said, “was rough.” Hernández called her Friday morning to talk again, and she said he had spoken with more people and had “a greater understanding of what is going on in Israel right now.”
“I hope that what comes out of this is he recognizes the megaphone he’s been given and uses it responsibly,” she said.
In a statement issued to Instagram on Thursday, the Colorado Palestine Coalition — which organized the Saturday rally — wrote that it held the event to draw attention to the blockade placed around Gaza and its people. The group said it condemned the “baseless attacks” against Hernández and that those criticisms were “a microcosm (of) how this issue is framed in American media and politics.”
Hernández’s second statement comes as Republicans intensify their criticism of him. In a letter released by the state Republican Party on Thursday night, 15 of the House’s 19 Republicans demanded that Democrats initiate Hernández’s expulsion. The letter, written by Rep. Brandi Bradley, sharply criticizes Hernández and said his actions warranted immediate removal.
“The events that are happening in Israel are heartbreaking, and we obviously feel for the people of Israel and stand united with them,” said Republican Rep. Rose Pugliese, the assistant minority leader in the House. “So to have remarks like he has made is really sad for the institution as a whole, especially in the House.”
Given Democratic control in the Capitol, expulsion — which requires a two-thirds vote — is unlikely. Only two House members have been expelled, mostly recently in 2018, when then-Rep. Steve Lebsock was removed after several women accused him of harassment. The legislature doesn’t reconvene until January. A spokesman for House Democrats declined to comment Friday.
Bradley said that she intended to follow through on the letter but said she needed to meet with all of her Republican colleagues to settle on next steps.
“I’m not going to sit back and watch someone attack a community of people,” she said.
Not all of the House Republicans signed on to the letter, and not all agree with its intent. Rep. Ron Weinberg, a Loveland Republican, decried the expulsion demand and said Hernández had the right to speak and protest.
“This is emotional for me. I have family in Israel, I’m Jewish, I lived in Israel for a little bit. I completely disagree with Hernández. But I’m not going to shut him up,” he said. “I’m not going to silence him or muzzle him. That’s ridiculous. Let him state his piece. And we should encourage people to protest and give their opinion. And we should be able to get into a room and debate about it, sensibly.”
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