Ysabel Jurado, city council candidate, facing calls to drop out following 'F-- the police' leaked audio

LOS ANGELES - Marker-scrawled protest signs from community members called on City Council District 14 candidate Ysabel Jurado to drop out of the race after she was heard on leaked audio saying "F-- the police" during a meeting with college students.

On Tuesday, a group of 14th District residents organized a news conference to call on Jurado to apologize for her comments and drop out of the council race.

During a meeting on Oct. 17 with students at Cal State Los Angeles, a student asked the following question "What do you think about Kevin de Leon's discretionary fund spending on overtime for police?" Jurado answered by saying "Like the rap verse f*** the police, that's how I feel."

RELATED: LA City Council candidate under fire for saying 'F*** the police' in leaked audio

Jurado defended the comment, saying in part, "I quoted a lyric from a song that's been part of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades. But it was just a lyric."

The exchange during the meeting was recorded and later posted by the local news website Westside Current.

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"When you say something like that you meant it. You just can't say something out of your mouth and not mean it. And you don't repeat a lyric like that," said Glassell Park activist Maggie Quiros

For many community members, Jurado quoting an F-word-spiked N.W.A lyric didn't sit well.

"To the men and women in blue and to their families we say thank you," said former state senator Richard Polanco.

"So how are voters supposed to trust her? She was avoiding the question of defunding the police at every debate and then finally it takes this to learn the truth," stated Shawn Smith with the Justice for Johnny Wactor Campaign.

"When you're elected to public office you have a duty... a duty to represent all people with fairness and respect," Richard Zaldivar, Executive Director of The Wall Las Memorials Project said.

Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's, Zaldivar worked in the office of then-councilman Art Snyder, who represented the 14th District. The current office holder is Kevin de León who was also caught up in an audio recording scandal in 2022 involving racist remarks. 

De León called Juardo's comments "simply disrespectful" adding "I was shocked but not surprised. She's been campaigning on abolishing the police since day one. Nonetheless, when you hear the words "F the police... it's a great insult to the working women and men who are charged with protecting the lives of everyday Angelenos."

Jurado is trying to unseat de León. 

After Tuesday's news conference, Jurado issued another statement saying, "We're continuing to knock on doors and meet voters where they're at to have real conversations about what's important to them, not hide from the people of CD-14."

Meanwhile, Jurado refused an on-camera interview saying the community is interested in putting food on their table, not song lyrics.