Athens City Council passes resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza
Athens City Council passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza at their meeting on Monday night.
Over an hour before the beginning of the city council meeting, a crowd gathered outside of City Hall to protest the conflict in Gaza. Echoing many recent pro-Palestine demonstrations in Athens, members of the community carried signs, candles and flowers as they chanted and sang together.
The resolution, initially drafted by members of the community and submitted to Athens City Council for their consideration two weeks ago, was discussed again in a Committee of the Whole meeting last week. This week, Councilmember Michael Wood drafted another version of the resolution and presented it before the rest of the council.
The meeting kicked off with a discussion of the ceasefire resolution. Wood shared that he received 35 emails in support of the resolution, with two emails against and one email advising caution.
“We’ve done things for Brew Week and for bees, why can’t we do things for other human beings?” Wood asked, calling on points made previously by Ohio U alumnus and community member Brandon Thompson.
Acknowledging that the conflict is beyond the reach of Athens City Council, Wood recognized that the war hasn’t stopped after countless other U.S. cities have passed similar resolutions. Still, Wood argued that resolutions are a way for City Council to voice their opinions, and that this resolution would be an opportunity for Athens to call for peace and combat hate, Islamophobia, and antisemitism.
“The forces of hate are capitalizing on this conflict to bring harm to vulnerable populations,” Wood said.
Wood also called attention to the fact that many of the community members in the audience and protesting outside had already been reaching out to their representatives and the governor without being heard or seeing any tangible change. City Council, Wood argued, has the ability to hear the community, to respond, and to be accountable to them.
“In our cities, we can get beyond the gridlock and gerrymandering that happens at the federal and state level. So, it would be hard for me to turn my back on this request. It’s really my pleasure and honor to bring this, on behalf of the citizens here tonight,” Wood said.
Councilmember Solveig Spjeldnes shared that she was impressed with the resolution and thanked everyone involved for their advocacy. Spjeldnes added that she was impressed, as someone who had previously taught community organizing and advocacy, by the skill and effort demonstrated by those in attendance. She also emphasized that she agrees with much of what the protestors are saying, but believes many forces are working towards a ceasefire without the participation of Athens City Council.
“I truly believe that the majority of residents of Athens do not want City Council to be involved in this kind of effort, to pass a resolution essentially condemning Israel, because it’s divisive and compromises inclusion and harmony. It sets a precedent that does not advance the city’s best interest…I’m worried that this is going to cause more harm than good on a local level,” Spjeldnes said, mentioning the city of Cincinnati recently reaching a similar conclusion.
Councilmember Alan Swank also shared that he has received countless emails, texts, and a book delivered to his house regarding this resolution. He addressed the conflict in the Middle East as “beyond imagination” and “condemnable.” However, Swank felt it was better to align with the Law Director’s opinion, that this resolution is not about the duties and responsibilities of City Council.
Councilmember Beth Clodfelter also voiced support and goodwill for the resolution, but she was concerned that following the passage of the resolution, the council would be expected to take a stand on countless other global issues. Clodfelter expressed wariness that this could impact Athens City Council’s ability to focus on issues in the city of Athens.
Following the statements made by members of the council, members of the community were invited to speak on the resolution. In response to the argument that Athens City Council should not involve themselves in foreign policy matters, some members of the community, including Hannah Louk, called attention to the fact that City Council has already taken a stance on Ukraine, where Mayor Patterson is currently visiting.
“To excuse yourself from this conversation now is nothing but hypocritical. Athens is involved, our tax dollars are involved, as humans watching these massacres occur, you’re involved. This council may not have a responsibility to respond to every conflict that occurs, but this is more than a conflict and our community must speak out,” Louk said.
Ayah Syeed, a medical student, was one of the speakers in favor of the resolution. Syeed cited statistics and numbers of people dying in Palestine daily, acknowledging that solid numbers are impossible to know due to the destruction of medical infrastructure in the region.
“There’s no excuse, there’s no way to call this self-defense. This is genocide and ethnic cleansing, and by you all not taking a stand, you are complicit in genocide,” Syeed said. “Athens is about 24,000 people. Over 30,000 people in Gaza have been killed. Imagine if every single person you interact with in Athens was gone, and a lot of those people are your family members. And now you have to live somewhere else that you’ve never lived before, and you have no food, no water, no access to medical care.”
Barbara Lyons, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace, also spoke on the war. Lyons stated that the daily death rate in Gaza is currently higher by far than any other conflict in the 21st century. Lyons also quoted Save the Children International, who reported that about 1,000 children in gaza have lost one or both legs in the onslaught
“We were taught ‘Never Again’ means never again for anyone,” Lyons said. “What’s going on is intentional, not collateral damage, intentional destruction of universities, schools, hospitals, and relief centers. Israel has also targeted churches, mosques, museums, libraries, and archeological sites. This is cultural genocide.”
After about 45 minutes of personal testimony and statistics from community members from a diverse array of backgrounds, personal experiences and ages, the resolution was put to a vote.
Ultimately, the resolution passed with four votes in favor and two against. The votes in favor were Councilmember Jessica Thomas, Clodfelter, McCarey, and Wood. The votes against were Swank and Spjeldnes. The mayor still maintains the ability to veto the resolution.
In other business:
The Environment and Sustainability Commission submitted a statement to Athens City Council supporting the creation of a Council of Governments for waste collection in the city of Athens and encouraging City Council to do so.
Residents of Beasley Mills Apartments on West Union Street were displaced following a fire on Saturday. While repairs are made to the building, the residents are staying in the Athens Community Center as an emergency shelter. Stone shared that the city is working to find more long-term accommodations for the displaced individuals, but thanked the American Red Cross, volunteers, and various groups that provided food and resources for those in need.
During City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting last Monday, Councilmember Micah McCarey proposed the possibility of a resolution to partner with the Strong Cities Network, a global network of cities attempting to utilize the unique roles of government at the municipal level to prevent and respond to polarization and hate within communities. McCarey suggested that aligning Athens with the network would allow the city to advocate more effectively for certain issues.
McCarey encouraged members of the community to watch the Heroes in Color film series at the Athena Cinema on Court Street, a Black History Month event.
Members of the community including Brent Hayes and Ohio State Representative Jay Edwards were present at the meeting to discuss concerns of compensation for property damage accidentally caused by the Athens Fire Department and other volunteer departments in the region. The New Political will publish a follow-up story on this topic.
