CINCINNATI — A Cincinnati City Council member is facing backlash for comments she made about the violent fight that has gone viral in several videos from downtown Cincinnati over the weekend.
Victoria Parks posted in the comments of a Facebook post that the people who were allegedly assaulted "begged for that beat down!"
Three people have been arrested and charged in the assault that took place in the early morning hours last Saturday in the area of 4th and Elm streets Downtown.
We have reached out to Parks but have not yet heard back.
Fellow council member Meeka Owens released a statement saying, "making comments that inflame a violent incident is never acceptable."
WATCH: Here is how Victoria Parks' fellow council members are reacting to her Facebook comment on the viral assault
Owens went on to say that Parks is entitled to her opinion, but "it is not beneficial to the city nor the region when she advocates for violence as a means for retribution."
"I would never expect an elected leader, a colleague of mine, to make such damning, irresponsible statements," Owens said. "I don't know if I can have an authentic conversation about safety and about how we move things forward in the city, with a colleague who is actually condoning violence."
With several people on social media calling on her to resign, we asked some Cincinnati city council members if they think Parks should face any consequences.
"This is a serious job. And so in my mind, all things are on the table in a moment where trust is important," Owens said. "This is something that I think breaks trust for a lot of people."
"I don't know. I mean, I think hopefully all of us can get on the same page," council member Mark Jeffreys said in response to the question. "I think all of us should get on the same page. This should not be an issue that divides us."
Council member Seth Walsh also condemned Parks' comment.
"I'm disappointed by the comments. Violence is violence, no matter what way you slice it, and as leaders, as anybody in society, we should be condemning any acts of violence that we're seeing out there," he said. "I think as a public official, you have to be held to a high standard."
We have reached out to Parks' five other fellow council members for comment. We are still waiting to hear back.
Parks already announced in January that she will not run for re-election after this term.
"The comments of one lame-duck member of Cincinnati City Council do not represent the opinions or perspectives of the council as a whole, and certainly not mine," Owens said.
Parks first ran for city council in 2021 after serving as a Hamilton County Commissioner. She served as Commissioner Todd Portune's chief of staff from 2016-2019 before filling his spot following his retirement. When she replaced Portune, Parks agreed to vacate her commissioner seat at the end of her term.
Before working in the commissioner's office, she also served as an executive at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and as director at the Women's Crisis Center from 2011 to 2015. Outside of her nonprofit and government work, she worked in customer service and marketing for 30 years.
She has also served on several boards in Cincinnati, including the AMOS Project, the Women's Fund Advocacy Committee and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Communication Commission.
Parks grew up in the West College Hill neighborhood and graduated from Aiken High School in 1976.
Watch the video in the player below for the latest on the investigation of what caused the assault:
