9 Montco Mayors Sign Letter Condemning Commissioner Joe Gale

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Nine Montgomery County mayors have signed a statement condemning County Commissioner Joe Gale's controversial letter regarding the recent unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd, joining numerous other local officials and municipal governments.

Gale's letter, published Monday, said that Black Lives Matter protesters were "falsely claiming" they were the victims of racism in order to spread chaos. He called the organization domestic terrorists and said that systemic police brutality is a "bogus narrative." The comments came days after Floyd, 46, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who knelt on his neck for nine minutes as he said he couldn't breathe and asked for water.

>>Backlash Over Montco Commissioner's Comments On Protests

"We condemn Commissioner Joseph Gale’s misleading, divisive, and inflammatory statement and his charges that the Black Lives Matter Movement is terroristic," the letter from the mayors reads. "We have received an outpouring from our residents shocked and appalled by language designed to tear apart and misinform our Montgomery County community."

Among the mayors who signed it were Royersford's Jenna Antoniewicz, Conshohocken's Yaniv Aronson, Narberth's Andrea Deutsch, Hatboro's Nancy Guenst, Pottstown's Stephanie Henrick, Lansdale's Garry Herbert, Ambler's Jeanne Sorg, West Conshohocken's Gregory Wesley-Lynch, and Collegeville's Aidsand Wright-Riggins.

"The negative and divisive language in Commissioner Gale’s statement goes against the values and objectives that we hold dear: community building, working constructively with our residents, councils, administrative staff, and police departments, and leading to set a positive example," the mayors' letter continues. "We urge Commissioner Gale to revoke his letter and issue a statement that brings back a central message of peace for our neighbors."

The letter also urges residents to contact Gale's office by phone to ask him to revoke his words.

On Wednesday, Gale released another statement condemning Philadelphia's removal of the statue of former Mayor Frank Rizzo. The statue has been controversial for years due to Rizzo's record on issues of race, and protesters in the city have defaced the statue over the past several days.

"In doing so, he sent a message that if you torch police cars and loot stores, he will concede to your demands," Gale wrote. "We do not need appeasement right now. We need law and order."

A petition calling for Gale's resignation, which had 14,000 signatures on Tuesday afternoon, had just under 67,000 signatures on Wednesday afternoon. The Municipal Council of Norristown also joined in the call for Gale to resign.

Gale has not yet responded publicly to the letter from the mayors or the petition.