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Monday, November 9, 2026Nov 9

Los Angeles council member involved in fight with activist

FILE - Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de Leon sits in chamber before starting the Los Angeles City Council meeting on Oct. 11, 2022 in Los Angeles. Leon was involved in a fight with an activist at a holiday event Friday night, Dec. 9. The altercation involving Leon occurred at a toy giveaway and holiday tree lighting at Lincoln Park, the Los Angeles Times reported. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)
FILE - Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de Leon sits in chamber before starting the Los Angeles City Council meeting on Oct. 11, 2022 in Los Angeles. Leon was involved in a fight with an activist at a holiday event Friday night, Dec. 9. The altercation involving Leon occurred at a toy giveaway and holiday tree lighting at Lincoln Park, the Los Angeles Times reported. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File) FILE - Los Angeles City Council member Kevin de Leon sits in chamber before starting the Los Angeles City Council meeting on Oct. 11, 2022 in Los Angeles. Leon was involved in a fight with an activist at a holiday event Friday night, Dec. 9. The altercation involving Leon occurred at a toy giveaway and holiday tree lighting at Lincoln Park, the Los Angeles Times reported. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles City Council member embroiled in a scandal over racist remarks and an activist fought at a Friday night holiday event.

The activist and Kevin de León got into an altercation at a toy giveaway and holiday tree lighting at Lincoln Park, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Earlier on Friday, de León attended his first City Council meeting in nearly two months following a scandal that erupted after a recording surfaced in October of former council President Nury Martinez, outgoing Councilman Gil Cedillo, de León and a labor union leader participating in a closed-door meeting in which racist language was used to mock colleagues while the participants schemed to protect Latino political strength in council districts.

Martinez resigned. Cedillo lost a June election and his last day in office is Monday. De León has apologized and said he has no plans to resign.

De León said in a statement to the newspaper that he was assaulted Friday night, while activists said the council member was the aggressor.