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Watch: Celebrations as Chicago City Council Votes for Ceasefire in Gaza

According to an analysis by Reuters, approximately 70 cities in the US have adopted resolutions regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the majority - including Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco and now Chicago, advocating for a ceasefire. Read More

Thursday February 1, 2024 6:04 PM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Chicago: Pro-Palestinian and anti-war activists Wednesday January 31, 2024 burst into celebrations as the Chicago City Council passed albeit with a narrow vote a resolution calling for immediate ceasefire and end to the Zionist military carnage in Gaza.

The Chicago City Council resolution passed 24-23 besides calling for permanent ceasefire also called for humanitarian aid into Gaza and release of all hostages.

Mayor's Tiebreaking Vote

The Chicago City Council Wednesday witnessed a tie when equal number of members voted in favour and against the resolution with the result ending at 23-23.

The Mayor of the council, Brandon Johnson, then used his tiebreaking vote so as to make the historic resolution pass the civic body.

"Be it resolved, that we, the members of the Chicago City Council, do hereby call for a permanent ceasefire to end the ongoing violence in Gaza", the Chicago City Council resolution said.

Earlier, hundreds of Public High School students occupied the Chicago City Hall chanting:

“Biden Biden you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide!”

The students were also demanding the city council to vote YES on the ceasefire resolution.

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BREAKING: Months of organizing result in a victorious vote for a ceasefire in Chicago!

Chicago is the largest U.S. city to vote in favor of a ceasefire resolution. pic.twitter.com/mXTztiSkEn

— ANSWER Coalition (@answercoalition) January 31, 2024

The activists in the chamber and students outside later burst into celebrations after the Chicago City Council vote in favour of the Gaza ceasefire resolution.

Supporters in the chambers also included Rev. Jesse Jackson, a popular American civil rights activist. Jesse Jackson is suffering from Parkinson's disease and came at the Chicago City Council in wheelchair.

Symbolic but Politically Important

According to an analysis by Reuters, approximately 70 cities in the US have adopted resolutions regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the majority - including Atlanta, Detroit, San Francisco and now Chicago, advocating for a ceasefire.

The city council resolutions though symbolic but reflect the anger against the Israeli war in Gaza and the U.S. policy towards the Zionist state.

“Do I believe that the words that we speak today, how we vote today influences directly international policy? I don’t. I don’t have those illusions,” said Alderman Daniel La Spata, one of the resolution’s sponsors, according to the Associated Press. “But we vote with hope. We vote with solidarity. We vote to help people feel heard in a world of silence.”

The top UN Court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), had on Friday January 26, 2024 also ordered Israel to stop the massacre of Palestinians and its genocidal activities in Gaza.

Gaza latest update

Despite all these the Israeli forces have continued with their round the clock bombing and complete blockade of the Gaza Strip.

According to the Health Ministry in Palestine, at least 27,019 people have been killed and 66,139 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. Over 7,500 Palestinians are also missing and presumed dead.

The Israeli blockade of Gaza and total ban on humanitarian aid reaching the besieged enclave have also resulted in the acute shortage of essentials including drinking water, food and medicines.

Meanwhile, a group of 100 political leaders, humanitarians, artists and scholars has called on the European Union (EU) to do more to uphold international law in Gaza and make efforts to bring peace to Palestine and Israel.

Ahead of a foreign ministers meeting in Brussels this weekend, the Call4Peace initiative sent the EU an open letter in which it denounced its inaction.

“We deeply regret the lack of leadership from Europe and are appalled by the weak reactions from the international community to the extreme violence in Gaza and Israel,” the group said in the letter.

 

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