A city council member accused of biting a police officer during a protest against a homeless shelter in her district is facing new scrutiny over a rally in her support that was organized by a group with ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
City Council Member Susan Chuang (Democrat, 43rd District) told The Washington Post she had “no involvement whatsoever” in the rally, which saw hundreds of supporters march from Manhattan to Brooklyn on Sunday.
But the messages on Chinese social media app WeChat have attracted attention, with critics accusing Zhuang of being a liar.
The letter, translated from Chinese and obtained by The Washington Post, appears to show the lawmaker advising his supporters “how they should behave” and “what signs” they should carry at rallies.
“Please don’t target the mayor. He’s already sat down to talk to us,” she wrote in response to a photo of a protest sign that read, “Mayor, you need to communicate with us.”
In response to another sign that read “We support the police but do not support excessive violence,” she wrote: “This slogan does not encourage negotiations. Also, please do not clash with the police.”
Chuan, who faces multiple charges over the July 17 clashes, including assault and resisting arrest, was hailed as a hero at the rally after he was a vocal opponent of the construction of a men’s shelter in Gravesend.
But at least one council official, after seeing the messages, called Zhuang a “dangerous liar.”
“Susan is a dangerous liar who loves to play the victim and knows exactly what she’s doing here,” the source said.
A spokesman for Mr Zhuang insisted the lawmaker was “not involved in the logistics of organising this event”, despite offering advice on WeChat.
“Councillors have always supported the NYPD and advocated for the safety of our communities,” the spokesperson said.
“This is yet another attempt by her critics to divide the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community and silence their voices.”
Ying Tang, who ran against Chuang in a city council election last year, also accused Chuang of falsely saying the NYPD “used unreasonable force against her” during the shelter protests.
“It is reckless and irresponsible to spread false information to voters in an attempt to avoid responsibility for one’s actions,” Tan said in a Facebook post.
In response, a spokesman for the councillor said his former opponent should put aside his “political agenda”.
“Now is the time for us to put our own political agendas aside and focus on uplifting Asian voices in the city. Now is the time to speak up for our community and demand government action,” the spokesperson said.
