DENVER — UPDATE: Hernandez has issued an apology.
--
One of Colorado's newest lawmakers is facing criticism from both sides because of his approach to the weekend attack on Israelis.
State Rep. Tim Hernandez (D-Denver) first drew criticism from his conservative colleagues for attending a small pro-Palestine rally on Saturday, shortly after Hamas militants crossed into Israeli border towns and killed or abducted hundreds of civilians.
An online flyer posted by the Colorado Palestine Coalition described the event as an “emergency protest for Palestinian resistance.”
“Resistance is justified when people are occupied,” the flyer said.
According to the Denver Gazette, 9NEWS’ content partner, Hernandez was seen waving a Palestinian flag during the rally at the Colorado Capitol.
House members are not prohibited from attending a rally or protest.
Hernandez on Monday acknowledged his attendance on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, saying he was there to support members of the Palestinian community who have also suffered hundreds of civilian losses in Gaza in the Israeli airstrikes following the Hamas attack.
“I listened at a rally on Saturday in solidarity with the Colorado Palestinian community, not Hamas, because Palestinian people shared in the tragic loss of life this weekend. I did not speak or attend the rally in support of Hamas or in support of the attacks on Israel,” Hernandez wrote in a tweet.
“I’m against oppression. I’m against human suffering. I’m against attacking innocent people. I’m heartbroken for any loss of life at all. As I navigate our community’s responses to the events of this past weekend, I find myself in a moment of deep reflection.”
The tone of his statement differed from some of his social media activity. Hernandez “liked” a series of tweets appearing to support the Hamas attack as an act of resistance. He has since "unliked" those posts. And in a video circulating on X, Hernandez did not explicitly condemn the attack.
The Colorado Republican Party has called on Hernandez to resign or for House leaders to expel him – an unlikely outcome that would require support from two-thirds of House members. Hernandez's Republican colleagues called for Democratic leadership to issue some sort of formal reprimand.
Some Democrats have also critiqued Hernandez.
“Tim and I definitely stand apart when it comes the way he is dealing with Hamas’ barbaric attack on Israeli civilians,” State Rep. David Ortiz (D-Littleton) posted in a tweet.
Democratic House Speaker Julie McCluskie and House Majority Leader Monica Duran told 9NEWS they were "deeply disappointed" that Hernandez hasn't explicitly condemned the violence:
“We’ve had several conversations with Representative Hernandez over the last few days and are deeply disappointed that when there was doubt, he chose not to explicitly condemn the violent Hamas terrorist attacks on innocent Israelis. Serving as a state representative means bearing the weight of responsibility for how our actions and words impact others, and we are called upon to lead with compassion, sensitivity, and humility in the most painful of moments. The murder of nearly 1,000 innocent people so far is an atrocity that demands unequivocal condemnation. We should be denouncing, not promoting, hateful rhetoric on social media. We stand with the people of Israel and the Jewish community in Colorado as we continue to mourn the loss of life and reel from the shock of the still unfolding horrors of this violent terrorist attack on innocent Israelis."
In August, "Next with Kyle Clark" anchor Kyle Clark asked Hernandez what he thought of using force as a protest tool. This was his response:
KC: You're on the Fox News Channel homepage, because people think that you were advocating for some kind of violent Cultural Revolution. And you said, violence isn't my isn't my bag. No, but do you think that is necessary or acceptable?
TH: I'm not here to police protest. You know, I think that folks who choose to relegate towards violence is a personal political decision for themselves. And I think that what that arrives and often is never people's first choice, right. Martin Luther King says, the riot is the language of the unheard, right. And I think that, as a state legislator, I'm looking forward to hearing, to creating opportunities to hear communities, because hopefully, we can prevent any form of forceful cultural violence.
Hernandez was appointed to the House in August by a vacancy committee with just 39 votes.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Full Episodes of Next with Kyle Clark
> Watch 9NEWS original shows, live Colorado news and weather updates, daily forecasts, and sports coverage for free on the 9NEWS+ app on Roku and Fire TV.
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.