WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, April 2, nearly six months into the ongoing assault on the people of Gaza, activists and community members in the District of Columbia are continuing to push their council members to introduce a ceasefire resolution. Advocacy efforts such as phone calls, canvassing, media outreach, and visiting councilmember’s offices have continued while escalatory measures have taken place due to the ongoing catastrophe that has led to over 32,000 deaths of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
At the committee of the whole meeting, while determining the agenda for the following legislative meeting, councilmembers (all present besides Ward 7 councilmember Vincent Gray) were disrupted by various community members demanding a ceasefire resolution. DC Jewish residents were among those demanding that the council end its complicity in the Gaza genocide and not allow the Zionist-led Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) to speak for the Jewish community in DC.
Other disrupters included local faith leaders who had just traveled back from Palestine, and local Palestinian residents who have lost over 100 family members in Gaza. One thing that was noted during the disruption, was the recent murder of World Central Kitchen workers by Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza, who were directly affiliated with DC restaurant owner, Jose Andres.
DC councilmembers looked stunned as the council chamber was partially shut down by twenty or so supporters of a ceasefire resolution who all stood up and chanted “ceasefire now!” while being slowly escorted out to the hallway. Ceasefire chants were so prominent in the hallway that they drowned out the meeting for the next several minutes.
The ceasefire activists vowed to keep disrupting hearings and meetings as long as the council remains silent on this issue.
We hope you appreciated this article. At People’s World, we believe news and information should be free and accessible to all, but we need your help. Our journalism is free of corporate influence and paywalls because we are totally reader-supported. Only you, our readers and supporters, make this possible. If you enjoy reading People’s World and the stories we bring you, please support our work by donating or becoming a monthly sustainer today. Thank you!
CONTRIBUTOR
Comments