Long Beach, CA mayoral candidate Rogelio Martinez ignited a firestorm of criticism after posting a video Friday calling on all 55 gang leaders in the city to join him for a Monday protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In the two-minute video filmed outside Long Beach City Hall, Martinez addressed gang leaders directly, saying “I am calling all 55 gangs in my beautiful city. I expect a gang leader from every gang, all 55 gangs.”

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Martinez, one of five declared candidates for the November 2026 mayoral race, stated his goal was to make Long Beach “ICE free,” calling on Latino, Cambodian, Filipino, Black, and Pacific Islander gang leaders to meet him at City Hall at 5 p.m. Monday.

“I need you to be here to meet me in person, to take back this city, because our leadership is not doing anything about it, and our police are powerless,” Martinez said in the video, repeatedly identifying himself as “your 2026 Long Beach City mayor.”

Candidate Defends Intent

In an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation, Martinez defended the controversial appeal, claiming his intentions were “never to harm anybody, never to incite any type of violence.”

“It was kind of like a crazy, radical but fresh approach to gain attention to what’s happening in America, specifically in cities that are predominantly Hispanic and Latino,” Martinez told DCNF.

The political outsider — a grandfather, licensed steam engineer, and Harvard Law School online student — admitted he never expected gang leaders to actually respond. “I was very strategic in producing the video. So, no. No gang members are going to respond, no gang members are going to show up. That’s not the reality of the video,” he explained.

As of Sunday, Martinez confirmed that none of the 55 gang leaders had contacted him about the protest.