Hallandale Beach voted to condemn a city commissioner's controversial comments she said on social media toward a Muslim congresswoman.
Commissioners voted 3-2 to condemn Anabelle Lima-Taub's comments in a meeting Wednesday night as critics and supporters of the Hallandale Beach commissioner held demonstrations outside City Hall ahead of the vote.
Lima-Taub, who was elected to the Hallandale Beach commission in 2016, posted a petition calling for the removal of Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib – saying she proudly signed it and called Tlaib an anti-Semite with “no place in government."
"She is a danger and (I) would not put it past her to become a martyr and blow up Capitol Hill,” Lima-Taub added in the post, which was later removed.
The commissioner later defended her comments in Wednesday's meeting.
"I never ever mentioned Muslim or Islam. I repeat, I never ever mention Muslim or Islam," Lima-Taub said.
Tlaib has been a lightning rod for conservatives after the Democrat made a comment the night of her inauguration in which she said she would help the party "impeach the motherf---er" in referring to President Donald Trump.
Hallandale Beach city commissioner Michele Lazarow says she does not support the congresswoman from Michigan. But she also does not support the language that her fellow commissioner used about Tlaib online.
"People what to hear a response. If I do not stand up to these comments and say this is not an official comment from the city, that the city does not support this racism, then I am just complicit," Lazarow said.
Lima-Taub, who is Jewish, said she was standing by her words. Some of her supporters said they are standing by her.
"We stand with her, we believe she’s right. There’s freedom of speech, she can criticize people in Congress if she want to to," Diane Kay said.
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Others believe she should resign.
"Those comments to me were personally hurtful. When I think back at what those comments turn into action, then turn into bullying for our school children, they turn into harassment to our small business owners," said Ammar Ahmed.
