HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston Mayor John Whitmire recently accused some pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have been protesting outside his home of being paid by Iran. He made this claim on Wednesday while discussing a proposed law that would keep protesters 200 feet away from targeted residences. Whitmire admitted that he wasn’t completely certain about the Iran connection but said he based his statements on advice from Homeland Security and other higher authorities.
Nishu Siddique, a founding member of Houston for Palestinian Liberation and one of the protest organizers, rejected the mayor’s accusations as unfounded and dangerous. “This notion that people are being paid by Iran is a racist and simplistic stereotype,” she said.
The ordinance proposed by Whitmire, aimed at creating a buffer zone around targeted homes, was sent to a council committee for further debate.
Whitmire argued that protests are negatively impacting the safety and well-being of children and seniors in his neighborhood. However, District J Councilmember Edward Pollard expressed concern that moving protests 200 feet away might just shift the issue to the homes of neighboring residents, potentially causing further upset.
Siddique responded by saying that if the law is enacted, her group would protest from a nearby location, arguing that the ordinance is a personal attack by Whitmire. “This seems like a personal vendetta,” she said, noting that similar protests in the past, such as those against Senator John Cornyn, had not faced such scrutiny.
Whitmire mentioned that other elected officials and community groups have privately expressed support for the law. “This is not about me; it’s about those who don’t want to be identified: our faith communities, mosques, imams, rabbis, and chancellors,” he said.
The council voted to send the proposed ordinance to a committee for further discussion, with thirteen members in favor and three, including Pollard, opposed. Pollard suggested the ordinance should be voted down outright, citing existing measures to address obstruction and riots.
Whitmire countered that current safeguards are insufficient and referenced similar legislation in Dallas that has been upheld in court. Some council members accused Whitmire of potentially infringing on First Amendment rights for personal gain. “Jim Crow might be abolished, but James Crow, Esq. is alive and well,” said District F Councilmember Tiffany Thomas.
