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City Councils Change Public Comment Rules As Ceasefire Debates Dominate

March 28, 2024 Barry Greene, Jr, Next City. , , , , ,
In the six months since Hamas’s deadly attack and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza, more than 100 municipalities across the country have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire. With more than 30,000 Palestinians dead, major cities including San Francisco, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Detroit have formally declared their support for an end to Israel’s siege, often following dramatic showdowns and disruptions in their city council chambers. With anti-war activists in Virginia’s capital city demanding that Richmond join the list, finding a seat in Richmond’s City Council meetings has been difficult.

New Yorkers Demand Their City Council Call For A Ceasefire

March 2, 2024 People's Dispatch. , , , , , , , ,
From February 28 to 29, New Yorkers held a 24-hour vigil outside of City Hall to demand that the New York City Council pass a resolution to call for a ceasefire in Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip. The vigil was organized by the NYC 4 Ceasefire coalition, composed of several pro-Palestine organizations in the city including Adalah Justice Project, the NYC Democratic Socialists of America, VOCAL-NY, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), and NYC Dissenters. At least 70 US cities have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire, according to Jewish Voice for Peace.

Palestinians, Supporters Demand City Council Call For Cease-Fire

January 8, 2024 Otis Grotewohl, Workers' World. , , , , ,
Charleston, West Virginia - Over 200 Palestinian and pro-Palestine activists packed a City Council meeting in Charleston, West Virginia’s capital, on Jan. 3. The crowd attended the meeting in anticipation of a vote regarding a cease-fire resolution previously proposed by progressive City Councilmember Joe Solomon, with the support of Palestinian constituents. Solomon, the only Jewish member of the 26-member City Council, is an outspoken opponent of the ongoing genocide in occupied Palestine. The purpose of the resolution was to pressure the U.S. Congress to stop funding the continuous murder of Palestinian people.

Chicago Fraternal Order Of Police Dealt Third Political Defeat For 2023

December 17, 2023 Joe Iosbaker, Fight Back! News. , , , ,
Chicago, IL – “How do you spell racist? FOP!” The crowd of 50 protesters on the LaSalle Street side of Chicago City Hall were loud and determined, December 13. As usual when there is a vote in city council that the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) cares about, there were extra cops on hand for intimidation. But the movement for police accountability had been standing up to the Chicago Police Department for decades. Among the protesters was Anjanette Young, a medical social worker. In 2019, the Chicago Police mistakenly raided her West Side home. Young, a Black woman, had just stepped out of the shower when they busted in her front door.

San Jose Residents Pack City Council Meeting, Demand Palestine Resolution

December 10, 2023 Fight Back News!. , , , ,
San Jose, CA – On Tuesday, December 5, hundreds of Palestine supporters attended the San Jose City Council meeting in person and online to demand that the council pass a resolution in support of Palestine. Community members waved Palestinian flags, wore keffiyehs, and brought signs with messages such as “End the genocide.” City staff intentionally blocked off half of the available public seats in the council chambers and diverted community members to overflow rooms. Many attendees were taken aback by this blatant restriction on their right to civic engagement.

Minneapolis City Councilors Reject Recruitment Deal With Cops

November 26, 2023 Marjaan Sirdar, Unicorn Riot. , , , ,
On Friday, Nov. 17, Mayor Frey called a special council meeting where they voted down a tentative deal struck by the mayor and police to attempt to increase staffing of the MPD with cash bonus incentives after “critically low staffing levels” have plagued the department, bogging down 911 response times.  One week before the council voted down the proposal, Mayor Frey and the police union signed the agreement to pay $18,000 in bonuses to current officers over a two and a half year period, and $15,000 to new recruits over a three year period. The money for the agreement was to be taken from a $19 million fund that was allocated by the Democratic-controlled state legislature for the City of Minneapolis, following the murder of Floyd by MPD, but still needed city council approval. 

Seattle Activists Win Resolution Calling For Cease-Fire In Gaza

November 22, 2023 Bia Lacombe, Popular Resistance. , , , , ,
Seattle -Councilmember Kshama Sawant (District 3, Central Seattle), working people, and anti-war activists have won a historic victory in forcing Democrats on the Seattle City Council to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, and release of all hostages. The vote was 6 yes, 0 no, and 3 abstentions. “This victory is a testament to the growing strength of the global anti-war movement,” Sawant said. “In the last weeks, millions have demonstrated in solidarity with the Palestinians and against the brutal Israeli state. In addition to huge and growing street demonstrations, workers have refused to handle Israeli war materiel in the ports of Barcelona, Spain; Salerno, Italy; and in Belgium.

Minneapolis Official Speaks Out About ‘Corruption’ And ‘Useless’ City Council

August 29, 2023 Marjaan Sirdar, Unicorn Riot. , , , , ,
As discussions over the newly instituted “strong mayor” system in Minneapolis are back in the news, local politicians, policy aides, activists, and pundits have been sharing their perspectives on the changeover. A month ago, Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley sat down with Unicorn Riot and discussed her thoughts on the government restructuring, corruption in the city and acts of political retaliation within the halls of power.

Los Angeles City Council’s Racism Goes Far Beyond Racist Slurs

October 12, 2022 Julia Wallace, Left Voice. , , , , , ,
Los Angeles, California - Los Angeles City Council members have been exposed for their offensive treatment of activists and community members. Private conversations, taped and leaked to the press, revealed President Nury Martinez, Council members Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor president Ron Herrera using racial slurs during a “redistricting” meeting. The four members, who are all Democrats, made fun of the adopted Black child of City Council member Mike Bonin, calling the toddler a “little monkey” in Spanish (“parece changuito”), saying he needed to be beaten for his behavior during a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade. They were also heard conspiring against other city officials, stating the district attorney is “with the Blacks.”

Austin Will Use Money Cut From Police Budget For Supportive Housing

January 29, 2021 Meg O'Connor, The Appeal. , , ,
Texas - The Austin City Council voted today to purchase one hotel and turn it into 60 units of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness. The vote to purchase a second hotel has been postponed to next week after a city council member asked for more time to gather feedback from her constituents. Under the measure, the city will spend approximately $6.7 million from its Housing and Planning Department’s general obligation bonds to acquire one hotel and use some money from a recurring $6.5 million fund taken from the police department’s budget to provide services to the residents of the hotel.

Minneapolis City Council’s Attempt To Defund Police Thwarted

October 18, 2020 Scott Shaffer, The Appeal. , , ,
Last month, the New York Times ran an article by Astead Herndon about politics and police in Minneapolis. By ignoring important context and details, Herndon painted a misleading picture of what happened and what’s likely to happen in the near future. He wrote that the Minneapolis City Council’s idealistic attempt to change public safety, spurred by young and progressive activists, were thwarted by public opposition and legislative processes.  In truth, most of the City Council members, who ran and won by pledging to advance racial equity, tried to do the right—and popular—thing, but were stalled by an unelected, unrepresentative commission that overstepped its authority. 

Philadelphia City Council Votes To End Cash Bail

February 5, 2018 By Lizzie Manno, Pastemagazine.com , ,
According to the Vera Institute of Justice, Philadelphia City Council unanimously voted to end cash bail on Thursday—a system that overwhelmingly punishes poor offenders by forcing them to stay in jail while they await trial after an arrest. Recently elected District Attorney Larry Krasner has been leading the council on pressing issues of criminal justice reform, along with council member Curtis Jones Jr. According to The Philadelphia Tribune, Jones said during the council session last week, “I’m calling for an end to the cash bail system in the city of Philadelphia.” Jones continued: Mr. President [Darrell Clarke] in our research we found out that a cash bail system came from a 1,000 year old medieval system that was created to make sure that they knew, even then, that jails were too costly. And so we should let the accuser go if they were not a danger to themselves or society.

Seattle’s Fight For 15 Carries On

April 13, 2015 Steve Leigh, www.socialistworker.org , ,
NEARLY A year after the Seattle City Council passed a $15 an hour ordinance, thousands of Seattle workers got a raise on April 1. According to the ordinance, which passed after a grassroots campaign of actions demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage, Seattle workers will now get a minimum of $10 an hour. This is part of a long phase-in until all workers get at least $15 an hour by 2021. With a built-in cost-of-living clause, all workers are expected to make $18 per hour by 2025. The state minimum wage is currently $9.47. Businesses employing fewer than 500 workers and providing health care or tips have to pay $10 an hour. Businesses employing more than 500 workers nationwide and smaller businesses that don't provide tips or health care must pay $11.
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