HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Houston Mayor John Whitmire accused some of the pro-Palestinian protesters who have gathered outside his home in recent months of being paid protesters for Iran.

Whitmire made the accusation on Wednesday as a discussion dragged on about a law he proposed that would require protesters to stay 200 feet away from homes targeted by protesters. He also said he was unsure of the information about Iran.

“I’m just relying on the evidence from the Department of Homeland Security and other departments, some of which are higher up than the city government, that there is a connection to Iran. If that’s true, that’s dangerous,” he said.

Nishu Siddique, a founding member of Houston for Palestinian Liberation who organized some of the protests outside Whitmire’s home, told ABC13 that the allegations are untrue and the rhetoric is dangerous.

“This belief in white supremacy, this orientalist caricature of people is silly. It’s silly and an excuse,” she said.

Whitmire’s proposed ordinance to create a setback from the affected homes was ultimately referred to a City Council committee for further discussion.

“The children and seniors in my neighborhood are not doing well,” Whitmire explained.

Ward J Councilman Edward Pollard responded: “(The protesters will) walk 200 feet away and then stand in front of your neighbors’ houses, which will anger them even more.”

Siddique told ABC13 that the group will set up shop on the block if the bill passes. She said she felt the ordinance was a personal attack from the mayor.

“This is a continuation of a personal feud that he (Whitmire) has against us. There are several groups that have been doing this for a long time. The protests against John Cornyn are a really good example, and until now this has never been an issue,” she said.

Whitmire said other elected officials and groups have contacted him about the law but asked to remain anonymous.

“This is not about John Whitmire. You don’t have to worry about me, okay? This is about people who do not want to be identified: our faith community, our mosques, our imams, our rabbis, the chancellors of our great institutions,” Whitmire said.

Thirteen council members voted to refer the proposed ordinance to a council committee. Three voted against, including Pollard, saying they would prefer to reject the proposal at the meeting and end discussion.

“We have already put in place safeguards against obstruction or incitement to riot,” Pollard said.

Whitmire said existing safeguards were not enough, pointing to other cities like Dallas that have passed similar laws that have held up in court, as several of his colleagues accused him of violating the First Amendment for his own benefit.

“Jim Crow could be abolished. James Crow, Esq. is alive and well,” said County Councilor F Tiffany Thomas.

Eyewitness News is gathering more information on this story. For further updates, follow Shannon Ryan on Facebook, X and Instagram.