Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman Criticizes Police Chief and Mayoral Opponent

Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is running for mayor, has called for the ousting of Police Chief Jim McDonnell due to his management of federal immigration raids last year. In a video posted online, Raman urged viewers to ‘stop fascist liars.’ The video, created by content producer Ed Choi, was recorded during Raman’s rally at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, where she outlined her plans for her first 100 days as mayor.

Facing the camera, Raman and Choi began the video by exclaiming together, ‘Only you can stop fascist liars!’ alongside an image of her opponent, Mayor Karen Bass. By Tuesday morning, Choi had removed the video from Instagram. Mayor Bass and her reelection campaign criticized Raman for her comments in the video, claiming she accused police of being fascist liars.

In response, Mayor Karen Bass condemned Raman’s rhetoric as extreme and dangerous, stating it has no place in city leadership. She emphasized that calling officers ‘fascists’ was offensive to those who risk their lives to protect the community.

Raman’s spokesperson, Liz Garcia, clarified that Raman’s comment targeted federal immigration agents, not the local police or officials. Raman’s remark about ‘fascist liars’ aimed at actions by federal authorities during immigration raids, not at Mayor Bass, Chief McDonnell, or LAPD officers.

The Los Angeles Police Protective League criticized some imagery from the video, describing it as hazardous. Imagery included an X over McDonnell’s photo and a slogan urging viewers to ‘De-Fascistize LA.’

Meanwhile, Mayor Bass contrasted Raman’s remarks by showcasing her own efforts, such as her response to last year’s protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. She recently signed an ordinance preventing city property from being used in immigration enforcement and mandated police body cameras during these actions.