TRENTON – They’re coming for his place – again.

City and town leaders gathered on the steps of City Hall on Wednesday to denounce repeated attacks by West Ward City Councilor Robin Vaughn on the Latino community.

The Latino Merchants Association of New Jersey has said Latinos are the “heart of Trenton” and called on board chair Kathy McBride and vice president Marge Caldwell-Wilson to take action against Vaughn for asking Adam Cruz, Trenton’s Latin American business administrator, if he understood English at last week’s board meeting. .

The group wants Vaughn to be censored or removed from office, adding that she has repeatedly used the term “banana republic” to refer to Latin American businesses in Trenton.

LMA president Manuel Hernandez said his organization had a recording of Vaughn’s commentary on the “banana republic”.

The city councilor and LMA have previously argued, with Vaughn sponsoring a measure targeting LMA’s lease with the city of its official seat after questions arose over its nonprofit status.

“We think that’s enough. She has offended our community on several occasions. We are tired of being treated like this, ”Hernandez said.

East Ward Councilor Joe Harrison said Vaughn used the phrase “banana republic” again at Tuesday’s alcoholic beverage control meeting.

“When does racism stop,” he said. “You shouldn’t have the chance to sit in this seat. … She thinks she’s not doing anything wrong. The people of the West Quarter deserve better representation. They don’t deserve someone who has so much hate in their heart.

The Trentonian requested a copy of the meeting recording, but it was not provided on time.

The term “banana republic” was coined by American writer O. Henry and refers to politically unstable countries ruled by dictators whose economies rely on single agricultural exports, such as bananas or coffee.

“It’s like calling one of our brothers the N word,” Hernandez said. “We are not from a ‘banana republic’.

Mayor Reed Gusciora has championed Cruz as a role model leader who has helped keep taxes at the same level over the past three budget cycles. He called for an end to the pervasive “toxicity” in the capital‘s politics.

Former Southern Ward Council candidate Jenna Kettenburg Figueroa said Vaughn’s attacks were “a massive slap in the face” to the Latino community.

James Allen, a member of the committee that tried to recall Vaughn, said residents of West Ward were ready to mount a second campaign to impeach lawmaker.

The committee first tried to remove Vaughn after she was filmed calling the openly gay mayor of Trenton a “pedophile” and telling Harrison to keep sucking Gusciora’s “d ** k”.

She was also criticized for defending McBride’s use of an anti-Semitic insult, suggesting it was a “verb.”

“It’s time for her to stop disrespecting all human beings,” Allen said.

Vaughn’s antics drew criticism from top state leaders, including Governor Phil Murphy, who previously called on her to step down.

Murphy denounced the city councilor’s latest attack on Cruz in social media posts, but did not call for his ouster.

Vaughn did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.