June 28, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Group of Veterans to Publicly Call On Joe Bray-Ali to Withdraw From City Council Race

A group of military veterans plans to publicly call on L.A. City Council candidate Joe Bray-Ali Wednesday to withdraw from the race over a blog post in which he advocated burning the American flag and wiping it in feces.

Bray-Ali is already under fire from LGBT groups, civil rights organizations and numerous elected city officials for a series of racist and derogatory statements he made online.

The group of veterans plan on holding a news conference Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in Highland Park. Although the vets do not represent any official veterans organization, a spokesman for the group, Mark Quiroz, predicted there would be around 40 vets there, plus family members.

Quiroz said the vets are angered over a 2006 blog post from Bray-Ali in which he wrote, “Let people burn the flag all they want, let ’em put it in their avant-garde art videos smeared in poo, let them destroy it.”

Bray-Ali did not respond to a request to comment.

Quiroz said Bray-Ali was asked by a veteran at a candidate forum on April 19 to apologize for the comments and he declined.

“He was given the opportunity to apologize in an open forum and he refused to,” said Quiroz, a former member of the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council, adding that the veterans do not plan to endorse Cedillo.

Bray-Ali lost the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times and City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell last week after it was revealed he made online comments in which he used the N-word, called gender reassignment surgery a “shameless excess,” used the word “retard” and made other comments which offended leaders in the LGBT and civil rights communities.

The endorsements had been a significant boost for Bray-Ali, a former bicycle shop owner who has never held political office. Bray-Ali has apologized for those comments.

After losing the endorsements, Bray-Ali decided to come forward with other damaging information about himself, and in a Facebook post admitted to habitually cheating on his wife for years, owing $48,000 in back taxes and committing vandalism.

Bray-Ali is challenging Councilman Gil Cedillo in the 1st Council District. Cedillo was forced into the May 16 runoff when he fell just short of the required 50 percent of the vote on March 7, finishing with 49.34 percent to Bray-Ali’s 37.97 percent.

Bray-Ali has vowed to fight through election day even though his comments have been denounced by City Controller Ron Galperin, Equality California, the Courage Campaign and the Los Angeles chapter of the National Action Network, along with seven sitting City Council members who called on him to drop out of the race.

Bray-Ali’s wife, Susan Wong, defended him on Tuesday in a post on his campaign’s Facebook page.

“I know my husband Josef, and he is a person of integrity. He is caring and inclusive of all people. In this climate, it is so important for people to check the sources and see if true journalism is occurring, or if a misleading headline, and mischaracterizations are occurring — we need to make sure that we critically analyze everything,” Wong said.

Joe Bray-Ali

Related Posts

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

Overdose Deaths Drop 22% in Los Angeles County, Marking Largest Decline on Record

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Fentanyl Fatalities Fell 37% as County Ramps up Funding for Prevention, Treatment Drug overdose deaths in Los Angeles County declined...

Cinespia Brings Fireworks and Fan Favorites to Hollywood Forever This July

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Watch Top Gun, La La Land, and More Under the Stars at Hollywood Forever Cinespia, Los Angeles’ iconic outdoor movie...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Robbery Suspects Captured in Beverly Hills After License Plate Alert Triggers Pursuit

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Foot Chase Ends in Arrests After ALPR Flags Robbery Vehicle in Beverly Hills An alert from the Beverly Hills Police...

EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles Returns with Star Chefs, Firefighter Tribute, and Wildfire Relief Efforts

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Culinary Festival Features Exclusive Restaurant Collabs, Support for Small Businesses  EEEEEATSCON Los Angeles, the celebrated food festival curated by The...

Supporters to Gather This Weekend for Longtime Culver City Paleta Seller Held in Detention

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Family and Neighbors Will Gather Sunday to Sell Paletas and Raise Funds Supporters will gather this Sunday at Veterans Park...

Suspect Charged by Los Angeles DA with Shooting of Santa Monica Cop and Teens

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Faces Attempted Murder Charges and Over 100 Years to Life in Prison if Convicted. Criminal charges have been filed against...

Café UCLA Pops Up in Westwood to Honor Arthur Ashe’s Historic Wimbledon Win

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Three-Day Celebration Includes Giveaways in Tribute to the Iconic Athlete and Activist UCLA will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Arthur...

Captain America Hits the Skirball Big Screen for Heroic Outdoor Movie Night

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Museum-Goers Can Also Catch a Superhero-Themed Drawing Session The Skirball Cultural Center will host an outdoor screening of Captain America:...

Demolition Underway at Beverly Grove Squatter Site After Mystery Fire Renews Safety Fears

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Crews Begin Tearing Down Long-Vacant Apartments on First and Flores  Demolition has begun at a group of long-abandoned apartment buildings...

(Video) Welcome to the Urban Jungle — where nature meets the city and style meets soul

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Whether you’re chasing that gritty city energy or carving out a green oasis in your space, we’re here to help...

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Brentwood Weekend Specials: $9 Wine & Street Tacos, Blush-Inspired Lattes & Beauty Swag

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Street Tacos and Wine Meets Self-Care in Brentwood and Santa Monica Brentwood Fine Wines will welcome back local culinary favorite...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...