Isai RochaLos Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de Leon returned to the council chambers for the first time since October 11, but left the meeting soon after a 10 minute recess.
De Leon was not present for the roll call at the start of the meeting and did not enter the chambers until public comment had already commenced. He quietly sat at his usual council seat and appeared to be briefed.
It was not until a resident approached the podium and expressed his support for de Leon and pointed at the council member at his seat, that the council and public realized he was present.
At that point, members in the audience began to shout at de Leon, telling him to leave, and council president Paul Krekorian called for a 10-minute recess.
The council took roll again, this time with de Leon added, but members in the crowd again began to shout in protest. Despite being added to the roll, de Leon left the chambers and did not vote on any of the agenda items for the day.
Because of the recess, the scheduled time for public comment had been reduced, to the point where the council only took 10 minutes of comment from individuals calling in through phone.
While de Leon’s appearance caused disruption in the meeting, it did not stop the council from saying goodbye to Paul Koretz and Mitch O’Farrell.
“I’m a very lucky guy in a lot of ways,” Koretz said toward the end of the meeting. “I’ve gotten to do what I love… literally my entire life.”
Some of Koretz final words as a council member were directed toward activists in the city, saying, “I yield the rest of my time and Fuck you,” mocking a viral moment where a protester aimed those words toward LAPD chief Michel Moore during a community meeting in 2020.
O’Farrell then said his parting words to Los Angeles, and while it was not as explicit as Koretz’s final words, he ended the meeting by saying, “Angelenos, that is a wrap. Thank you.”
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