When Austin resident Clayton Fidler (twitter: ‘@cfidler1971’) stepped up to the podium at yesterday’s Austin City Council meeting with two poster-sized prints of Austin City Councilman Zohaib “Zo” Qadri highly controversial tweets about Israel from May 2021….
ZO QADRI’S CONTROVERSIAL DELETED TWEETS:
#1:
Anyone who has a “Proud supporter of Israel” in their bio or a I support the IDF or Israel banner on their pic really needs to reevaluate a lot of things.
#2:
“Human issue”
The state of Israel has no right to talk about human rights or human issues. Not as they slaughter folks. Not as long as they deal in the apartheid business.
Clayton Fidler didn’t plan on getting reprimanded harder at yesterday’s meeting than Mr. Qadri, the source of the controversy.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Clayton Fidler began to address Austin City Council holding poster-sized copies of the two infamous, anti-Semitic Zo tweets, but was quickly cut off by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson.
Mayor Watson claimed that Clayton didn’t have the right to discuss the social media uproar surrounding Councilman Zo Qadri’s anti-Israel tweets from May 2021.
Watson insisted that citizens were only allowed to discuss topics that appeared on the Austin City Council agenda for Thursday, October 19th.
Nothing else.
After legendary Austin attorney Bill Aleshire viewed Clayton Fidler’s clip from the Council Meeting and saw Mayor Watson’s demand to stop talking and go away, Bill Aleshire asked Mayor Watson on Twitter:
“have ya read TOMA sec. 551.007 (e)”
Text of Bill Aleshire’s tweet:
Hey, @KirkPWatson have ya read TOMA sec 551.007 (e)
A governmental body may not prohibit public criticism of the governmental body, including criticism of any act, omission, policy, procedure, program, or service."
Besides Mayor Kirk Watson illegally denying citizens their First Amendment right to speak - the most disturbing part of yesterday’s meeting was the (lack of) reaction by the Councilman in question, Mr. Zo Qadri.
Here was the perfect opportunity for Mr. Qadri to show some compassion, class and contrition. He could finally address the elephant in the room, offer an apology, ask for forgiveness and try to save his political reputation.
But instead of quelling the uproar by acknowledging his anti-Semitic tweets contained hurtful words (why did Zo delete the evidence if there was nothing wrong?)…
Zo put his head down, stayed silent and refused to glance in Clayton’s Fidler’s direction.
Instead of meeting the moment, acknowledging his tweets and offering an apology, Zo just wants the whole thing to go away.
TOO BAD.
Austin Texas Times is the only news organization in Texas covering the social media uproar surrounding Austin City Councilman Zo Qadri’s anti-Semetic tweets.
Except for a tiny sidebar blurb in last week’s Austin Chronicle parrot cage liner.
Read the full story here:
EXCLUSIVELY ON AUSTIN TEXAS TIMES:
“Austin City Councilman Zohaib “Zo” Qadri Deletes Controversial Tweets about Israel and Cancels Town Hall after Social Media Uproar”
- October 11, 2023 (link)
THANK YOU CLAYTON FIDLER for your courage, activism and breaking off time this afternoon to join us on the podcast!
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Austin Texas Times: Episode #2 with special guest Clayton Fidler | Censored by Austin Mayor Kirk Watson While Discussing Zo Qadri's Controversial Israel Tweets at Austin City Council Meeting