Mayor reacts to confrontation involving Council Member and Wind Therapy Freedom Riders

Mayor Steve Adler weighs in on the latest controversy surrounding the Austin City Council District 6 race after a confrontation was caught on camera between members of a pro-police riding club and Austin City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan.

Flannigan was met with a group of Wind Therapy Freedom Riders while leaving a campaign event on Saturday.

In the video, Flannigan’s field director was seen blocking unmasked Wind Therapy Freedom Riders President Luis Rodriguez from coming any closer to Flannigan who was filming inside his car.

“I had already closed my car door, telling them that I was leaving. He then opened my car door and stepped in front of it so that I could not leave,” Flannigan said.

Rodriguez denied opening Flannigan’s car door. A day after the video was posted on social media, Mayor Adler shared his thoughts on the confrontation.

“What happened to Councilman Flannigan was wrong and it should be condemned by everybody. He was physically being detained in a threatening manner by some unnamed person who was preventing the council member from closing his car door and leaving,” Adler said.

This comes after the Wind Therapy Freedom Riders were seen posing for a group photo at a re-fund the police protest with the Austin Police Department, several apparent Proud Boys and Flannigan’s opponent Mackenzie Kelly.

Rodriguez stated his group has no affiliation with the Proud Boys.

“I was upset because we were being called and insinuated with being racist and to me that’s defamation, that’s slanderous, that’s insulting, it’s disgusting,” Rodriguez said

Flannigan denounced the photo but denies ever calling Rodriguez racist.

Mayor Adler said city and state leaders need to start setting a better example, one that allows for differences of opinions.

“I was disappointed to see city employees appearing in a photo with Proud Boys and folks making racist gestures. It just sent the wrong message, it’s not consistent with city policy,” Adler said. “Our political leaders need to start setting a better tone and example, one that allows for differences of opinions without demonizing one another.

We all love this country and this state, and this city and we may disagree on what needs to be done and that’s OK, but physically detaining, especially in a threatening manner, has no place in Austin, Texas.”

Mackenzie Kelly’s campaign released this statement:

Flannigan’s own field director previously and publicly called Mackenzie a “Nazi” and a “fascist.” This continued, hateful pattern of name-calling and verbal abuse is not befitting of an elected official, especially in a city as diverse as Austin. District 6 can do much better.

Rodriguez plans on filing suit against Flannigan for defamation of character.

Meantime, the Proud Boys began in 2016, and have been designated a hate group by the southern poverty law center.