Davion Williams, Champaign City Council member, was condemned by Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen and other council members today after publishing and defending the use of a swastika on his personal Facebook account, according to a press release by the city on Friday.
“This blatant display and disregard for the values we uphold as a City is unacceptable,” the press release read. “His posts and comments were reckless and we strongly condemn them.”
The press release, which did not call for Williams’ resignation, said the mayor and city council denounce hate and aim to speak up for residents who “have no voice amid the loud hateful speech and acts that surround us.”
WCIA, who provided a screenshot of the post, reported that Williams, the council member who represents District 1, changed his Facebook profile photo to an image of a red swastika. Upon drawing criticism from comments, Williams defended his use of the symbol.
“The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been used for thousands of years across multiple cultures, often representing good fortune, well-being, and spirituality,” the post read.
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Williams released a statement to the News-Gazette explaining his post, saying he wanted people to “think critically” and understand “other opinions out there, outside of what we have been taught.”
“I’m not a hateful person, I’m not whatsoever, I’m not trying to be,” Williams said to the News-Gazette. “I thought it’d be thought-provoking, which it did become very thought-provoking and people got triggered by it. But how many things that have come across the media have triggered people?”
In December, Williams was accused of antisemitism by local Jewish leaders after he said Jewish people “have a lot of control over a whole lot — over music, over food, over media, over a whole lot of things.” He later spoke with the executive director of the Illini Hillel and issued a formal apology.
