A Coral Springs resident’s comments were blasted by city commissioners as “hateful” before he was asked to leave Wednesday’s commission meeting.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Albert Ciccio defended the actions of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus and made what commissioners said were hateful comments about Native Americans.
Ciccio’s remarks were in response to a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day that Commissioner Nancy Metayer Bowen brought up last year.
The second Monday in October is officially called Columbus Day, but President Joe Biden has proclaimed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day for the past two years, as have several state and local governments across the country, according to the Pew Research Center.
Apparently upset by the city’s recognition of the holiday, Ciccio had previously shared a document with commissioners containing some of his thoughts on the subject.
“The slurs that have been directed at Columbus are a travesty,” said Ciccio, who also made remarks about indigenous people at the meeting.
In response, Commissioners Joshua Simmons and Nancy Metayer Bowen blasted Ciccio’s comments.
“What I read was inarticulate, uninspiring, hateful, and a waste of time,” Simmons told Ciccio. “You missed the spirit of what we were recognizing, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, because Christopher Columbus was a rapist, a murderer, and he spread diseases all across the Caribbean and the Americas. I don’t understand how you can refute that.”
Metayer Bowen said she had brought up the proclamation to “highlight the diversity in our community.”
“Indigenous people lived here prior to Coral Springs being established,” Metayer Bowen told Ciccio. “This is the land of the Tequesta people, and they have the right to be acknowledged. We also share this land with Seminole people, Miccosukee people. They have the right to be acknowledged.
“You may spew your hate, but these individuals live in our community, and we will continue to respect them.”
Metayer Bowen went on to say that “diversity and inclusion … is a core value of this commission,” which “will continue to highlight [indigenous peoples] and amplify them.”
“They’re hateful,” she said of Ciccio’s comments. “And you’re going to get a rude awakening when that same proclamation comes before you again in November.”
Ciccio, who called Simmons’ comments “hate speech,” was asked to exit after his allotted time to speak ran out. However, he kept talking.
“Sir, please exit the chambers at this time,” said Vice Mayor Shawn Cerra.
After a brief delay, Cerra recognized the next speaker from the public.
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