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City of Chicago city council
rules of conduct for public meetings 2023 to 2027
pursuant to the Chicago city council Rules of Order and
procedure rule 49. The sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct to be followed during the public
comment period in the duration of all committee and city
council meeting.
Propane in Boulder threatening abusive or disruptive
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directed towards others is not permitted.
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conduct during others presentations is not permitted.
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permitted.
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user must refrain from interfering with the view or hearing
of other individuals.
Individuals or groups failing to adhere to these rules will
be asked to see such disruptive conduct and failure to
comply will result in their being subject to removal from
the meeting by the Sergeant at Arms.
City of Chicago city council
rules of conduct for public meetings 2023 to 2027
pursuant to the Chicago city council Rules of Order and
procedure rule 49. The sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct to be followed during the public
comment period and the duration of all committee and city
council meeting.
Profane vulgar threatening abusive or disruptive language
is not permitted.
Demeaning discriminatory or harassing behavior in speech
directed towards others is not permitted.
Disruptive behavior including disruptive or disrespectful
conduct during others presentations is not permitted.
Backpacks large bags and sharp objects are not permitted
clear bags not tinted in color that do not exceed 12 inch
by 6 inch by 12 inch will be permitted and are subject to
search.
Food and beverages including in metal canisters are not
permitted.
Cell phones must be placed on silent prior to entering the
meeting room.
Individuals must remain seated public comment speakers are
permitted to stand only one providing public comment.
Small handheld devices may be used only while seated in the
user must refrain from interfering with the view or hearing
of other individuals.
Individuals or groups failing to adhere to these rules will
be asked to see such disruptive conduct and failure to
comply will result in their being subject to removal from
the meeting by the Sergeant at Arms.
City of Chicago city council
rules of conduct for public meetings 2023 to 2027
pursuant to the Chicago city council Rules of Order and
procedure rule 49. The sergeant-at-arms sets forth the
following rules of conduct to be followed during the public
comment period in the duration of all committee and city
council meeting.
Profane vulgar threatening abusive or disruptive language
is not permitted.
Demeaning discriminatory or harassing behavior in speech
directed towards others is not permitted.
Disruptive behavior including disruptive or disrespectful
conduct during others presentations is not permitted.
Backpacks large bags and sharp objects are not permitted
clear bags not tinted in color that do not exceed 12 in by
6 in by 12in will be permitted and are subject to search.
Food and beverages including in metal canisters are not
permitted.
Cell phones must be placed on silent prior to entering the
meeting room.
Individuals must remain seated public comment speakers are
permitted to stand only one providing public comment.
Small handheld devices may be used only while seated in the
user must refrain from interfering with the view or hearing
of other individuals.
Individuals or groups failing to adhere to these rules will
be asked to see such disruptive conduct and failure to
comply will result in their being subject to removal from
the meeting by the Sergeant at Arms.
Good afternoon. I am chair person. Drisana Rodriguez
Sanchez. It is 1:13 p.m. On December 18th, 2023 and this
meeting of the Chicago city council committee on health and
human relations will now come to order today. We're
discussing the following items. We have the approval of the
rule 45 report from our November 14th meeting. We have
resolution 2020 3000 5541 a call on US Congress to clarify
us tax code to prevent misuse of Puerto Rican tax
incentives and negative economic impact on people of Puerto
Rico and we have resolution 2020 3000 6422 expression of
support for United Nations resolution 377 known as United
for
uniting for peace
We are now going to call the roll to establish a quorum
other person Robinson.
Observe and Yancey other agencies not here by Sara Ramirez.
By Sara Ramirez is here other woman who dies.
Other woman get the address is here Alderman Lopez animal
abuse is not here Other Woman Coleman other one, he's not
here, 60 Lopez.
German 60 Lopez's hear of the woman Winters
I don't want my friend. Jess is here woman Cruise.
Other one cuz is not present chairman Hamid estarossa.
Ramirez Rosa is not present Alderman Lawson.
Other Ms. Preston alderwoman might not have been worse.
other women to help and hook hoping work is present your
woman hadn't
and shepperson Rodriguez Sanchez is here. There are seven
members present. We have a quorum. We also have other than
ellaspara was a non-member present.
And we have several of our colleagues that are going to be
participating remote today. They have asked for remote
participation due to rule 59. We have other woman Maria had
an older man that made us feel sad and Other Woman cruise
and aldermen Yancey who all have asked for a remote
participation. Can I get a motion to accept promote
participation for a colleague? So moved by alderwoman good
with the address.
And now we are going to do public comment. We have 30
minutes of public comment. We have a lot of people that
have signed on so I'm going to give two minutes time to
each person and the first person is on the tire.
Thank you very much.
This resolution is extremely important because now over
eighteen thousand thousands have been killed the world is
standing against the United States and Israel and its
genocide against the Palestinian people and I just have to
say to the older people who chose not to be present here
who have been trying to oppose this resolution that history
will remember that you are silent during a genocide. This
genocide is happening right now and has been irrespective
Jewish organizations have said if not now when and no never
again,
The older people who are not speaking up today in favor
this resolution shame on them. We will remember you will
remember your silence during this 21st century genocide. I
want to thank the council members were standing up for this
resolution your courage in the face of immense abuse by
supporters of Israel is duly noted and we will support you.
Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is Frank
Chapman.
I want to speak.
Frank Chapman playlist Rick national anthem against recent
blue refreshing
I want to speak in favor of the United for peace.
resolution
The speaker said before me.
Why would I have two different numbers?
Twenty thousand people going to the hilt Ministry in Gaza.
I've been murdered.
8000 M children
Do my question to all of us here today is how many people
have to be murdered how many children have to be murdered
how many mass graves are we got to see people being shot
and pushed into in Palestine. How long is that got to go on
before we lift our voices against this atrocity?
And I see if she can go in a minute longer.
Why I asked you put this resolution and I support also the
Palestinian Liberation struggle my organization
unconditional support that struggling we have been doing it
for the last fifty years and we will continue to do it
because nobody has the right to take people's land and
oppress them and isolate them and make them live under a
pot that conditions like they're doing and Israel. That's
what they're doing to the Palestinian people. This is
apartheid.
Nelson Mandela identified incorrectly. We are opposed to it
and we demand piece.
Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Linda Lowe.
Thank you for this opportunity to comment as a member of
Chicago Jewish voice for peace also set up Chicago
congregation and the broader Jewish Community watching The
Daily bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza. My conscience
tells me that I can't let this go on without speaking
loudly that this is not in my name with 85000 Palestinians
living in and around our community.
This body and the entire city council must care about their
loved ones their innocent lives their survival and the
well-being of children doesn't this council's be be
increasingly larger numbers from both the Jewish community
and many other groups in our city that want to see us act
for peace in the entire region. This piece must include
Justice for Palestinians as an activist also for abortion
rights and reproductive Justice for many decades. I say we
cannot stand by another day while maternal and infant are
are virtually non-existent throughout Gaza. Where is our
Humanity if we don't
Bandon immediate and permanent seat fire if we don't stand
for an end to occupation and genocide of Slaughter. This is
the only path for peace for all. Please vote for this
resolution for permanent ceasefire and do it as rapidly as
possible when Chicago must join countless others cities and
others Across the Nation demanding that Congress and the
president take definitive action, and we must be on the
correct side of History. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Muhammad son coloring.
I think you chairwoman. Not the first time I've been booed
and many of you may not be surprised by that.
Thank you. Charm woman, Rosana Rodriguez. I don't want to
repeat what's been said before me but I just do want to.
Restate a few things in which there are twenty thousand of
our people dead in Augusta right now almost about 8,000 of
them are children on based on what we know. There are fewer
than eight hospitals that are operational. I have some
colleagues here that I would help workers for Palestine. I
believe we may be hearing from some of them later today as
well will speak more.
The 1.6 million to 1.8 million people of Augusta right now.
Not only are facing a genocide what are facing the daily
struggle of dying from preventable disease is not having
access to clean water not having the basic necessities for
life.
They're facing the reality of digging their children up from
under the rubble every single day.
I just want a quote chairwoman was on a Rodriguez who
bravely said all of these women are our mothers all of
these children are our children. All of these men are our
forefathers.
This is what humanity is about. We must look regardless if
it's your Palestinian or not. We must look we must bear
witness and we must recognize that we have a duty to act to
save our people a duty to act to stop the suffering that is
quite frankly paid for and supported with Excuse Me by our
own government and I just want to remind us that two years
ago Amnesty International wrote a report that recognize
that is real practice is apartheid against the Palestinian
people. This is not just 70 days old. This is more than 70
years old.
Our next speaker is Omar.
Omar
good afternoon.
My name is Omar. And I'm a member of the United States
Palestine come into work today to demand of those who has
an ounce of humanity to support the cease-fire solution the
past two months, there's really military occupation has
murdered over 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza and committed
multiple war crimes Act.
Yet many have been silenced.
Over 8,000 children have been killed and the families that
have survived their living under extreme conditions from
Hunger lack lack of water like medical support and
continuous airstrikes.
Last week some of the folks on the council were discussing
about the financial crisis and trying to throw the
Immigrant Community under the bus while our tax payers
money is going by the billions to support the apartheid
Israel genocide.
Those who are not in support of this resolution should be
ashamed of themselves for arguing against our resolution
that is meant to stop the killing of innocent men women and
children.
It is rather than minimalist action one could do to vote Yes
for a ceasefire.
Let the history record that Chicago has refused to support
the saving of families and supported ethnic cleansing.
We often ask ourselves. How did we how did such similar
atrocities happened? And I finally saw the answer with my
Clear Eyes they happened because people
Who are sitting in similar seats stayed quiet or complicit
and I would like to thank all the other persons that has
been in support of this resolution, and we are here with
you. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is Gabrielle
Miller?
Good morning. I want to start by thanking all the women
Rosendo Rodriguez and everyone else for introducing this
bill making sure that it has a path to the city council
floor in January. This ceasefire resolution is a
humanitarian necessity and must pass out of this committee
to see you vote in the city council. Just this week areas
in southern guys are being bombed and raided by the Israeli
occupation forces after hundreds of thousands fled from the
north to those areas, which human rights groups.
Firming that there is no safe place in the entirety of the
territory.
In recent days Israeli forces have attacked the Catholic
Church complex and Gaza City executed three captives who
are seeking safety and stormed hospitals in both the North
and South of the territory. And as others have said the
total number of Palestinians killed since October 7th
approaches and exceeded 20000 but our analysis to not start
with October 7th, since the original catastrophe or neuqua
of Israel occupation 75 years ago. Israel has been
continuously doing enough against the Palestinian people
not only the last 2 months of genocide and war crimes, but
the entire history of Israeli occupation is our problem as
US citizens because our government uses our tax dollars to
commit these crimes against humanity. Our elected officials
are not just complicit in a proxy war but actively engaged
in genocide against the people can find in the largest
open-air prison in the world.
But not elected officials who support the ceasefire
resolution.
This is a medical necessity. This is about this is about
humanitarian stance against genocide. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments. Our next picture is kids con.
I'll keep my comments pretty brief, but as has been noted
before I 80,000 Palestinians live in Cook County and that's
the most in all of America. And so the losses that are
happening all the way over and gods are felt the most
strongly here out of any major city. And with that in mind
we have to keep in mind that Chicago supposed to be a
progressive place a place where we might be leading the way
in this regard. We can't be afraid to call for a ceasefire
and I found it disgraceful when we voted for the resolution
that essentially affirmed everything Israel is doing in a
condemned Palestinian resistance as a Jewish man. I need to
say that I felt disgusting my heart for the resolution and
the idea that it represents and buy safety and my interest
and at a time when we have a President, Joe Biden who is
repeating this information on a national scale and fumbling
this in a way that we have never seen such a crisis fumbled
Chicago needs to be steadfast in its Legacy.
Leading the way as it has been so many other social aspect
and at the very bare minimum call for a ceasefire the
entire conversation around Gaza is itself unacceptable the
parameters. I reject we don't have time to get into all
that so the very least start with this. Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Leila Syed.
lilac
Hello. Hello. My name is Layla has a dime with the US
Palestinian comedian Network.
Cook County have the most Palestinians than any other
county in the United States and we are here due to the
displacement of our of our families from our original
homeland of Palestine.
And we are 70 days and 75 years into this genocide and
Israel has no end in sight and no mercy for human life.
This is everyone's reminder that Collective punishment is
illegal according to the UN legislation.
A ceasefire would on Earth has now Broken Bow and would
save thousands of Palestinians and even the hostages who
many aldermen claimed to be concerned about which is why
the opposes resolution the hostages are also currently
being bombed by Isreal and even shot and killed by their
own iOS soldiers, especially in this recent case of three
Israeli hostages. Who were
Holding White flags and they were still shot. Why were three
shirtless men holding white flag shot? Because the Iowa
soldiers thought their Palestinians and the reality is had
they been Palestinians. We would have never seen the story
in the mainstream news.
A ceasefire will eventually happen there is no doubt. It
better will a few cities and even the UN have already
called for one or now standing on the right side of History
Chicago has a choice. Do we want to be on the wrong side or
the right side of Chicago agree to kill thousands more is
click a punishment or Chicago State enough is enough.
In 1970, even before he became the government in Gaza my
great-uncle a priest establish the Holy Family Catholic
Church in Gaza City due to his efforts to uplift of housing
community that Israelis had him shot in the chest and side
of his very Church fifty years later and not much has
changed a mother and her daughter were just killed inside
this very same church that my uncle established and was
also murdered in as well. And this is just a week before
Christmas. I say this because a ceasefire is merely the
beginning and always scratching you're out of time. Thank
you.
Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Robin summer.
Honestly, when I signed up I really didn't know I was
signing up to speak. I thought I was just signing up to be
sign in but but since I am since I'm here right now, I just
want to say that as a Jewish person who has many dinosaur
my family and has family in Israel. This issue has always
been a really really hard one for me. I've been on the side
of the of Justice basically which for me that both peoples
had to be able to live in peace and and hopefully someday
and Harmony but that isn't is not what is happening right
now and the Israelis are doing the really the very wrong
thing in my my opinion and I have to really enjoy the last
speaker who talked about how the the few people that people
know, how sick is that stood out?
We're trying to surrender if they were Palestinians and how
many Palestinians did this happen to it must be a lot of
Palestinians that the same thing happened to this is just
the world has to look at this issue differently having just
a colonizer inside. Basically the Middle East should not be
there way that we framed this argument about who should be
able to live in this in this in this area should both Jews
and Palestinians should be able to live healthy strong
wonderful life and that's what I want to see happen. Thank
you. Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is Nadia
I have fight.
Sorry, I just find it funny that I'm getting booed. My name
is Nadia and I am a member of the US Palestinian Community
Network and just two months 24142. Palestinians were killed
because that 9420 of those were children. 48901
Palestinians are wounded at this moment. The wounded have
nowhere to deal with their injuries as Israel bomb 23
hospitals and targets hospitals that carry the wounded 92
journalist. I think it would.
Risen to about 99 have been murdered 282 schools were
bombed 134 months were bombed three churches were bombed
132 industrial facilities were bombed. These are only a few
of the numbers that I like to understand that this is no
war this is a genocide understanding that these numbers
were only cannot collect it from cuz that only showcases
the violence committed in the last 2 months every child the
number beyond that territory and Dave would exceedingly
rise. If I were to notice every child every mother every
father had a face a name and a story yet. Their life was
stolen from them. The violent Act is real commits, which is
backed by the US is a genocide and should be labeled as 1
how long does it take for our government to react to
communities in crisis and recognizing that there is a
crisis
How many times do we have to witness bodies on the news and
had no one to take a stand and humanize them? How many
times will we have to witness our tax dollars our
government support the death and destruction of our people?
This is a moment where you are given the opportunity to be
on the right side of history as the people demand your
support as a public demands or support.
We are calling on all members of this committee to vote to
support the cease-fire resolution to send a clear message
that our city stands on the right side of justice. And on
the side of Justice do the right thing your time is up.
Thank you.
Our next speaker is Yolanda Juden.
I want to start off by saying it is beyond sickening. That
is C spire's Up For Debate. It is beyond evil that stopping
a genocide is Up For Debate when I have watched the city
council support a settler Colonial regime that kills more
babies than a day than Hitler. I have watched the city
council passed resolutions in a seconds that use harmful
racist dangerous pinkwashing rhetoric that fails to mention
Palestinians as if we don't exist Chicago is home to the
biggest population of displace Palestinians in America.
Finally. We have a resolution that mentions us a resolution
that includes queer Palestinians instead of silencing them
like real
And city council has done in the past and resolution. I
hope you do right by and pass a resolution that shut truth
to a situation people called too difficult to speak on but
it's not since October 7th over twenty thousand innocent
Palestinians have been murdered by Israel more than half
were children. If I were to more than one Palestinian a
day, I would be morning for over sixty years that is not
including the 75 years before that even in death my people
on free from this occupation. When the Israeli War Machine
picks up cemeteries just to run over the dead Palestinian
bodies with bulldozers.
Or how about the living families is real bulldozers and
bury alive while sleeping in tents outside of hospitals.
America is responsible for this war machine. Now, let's do
a quick recap of the wars the US has funded and how many
children were killed in them Iraq 3100 children in 14 years
stereo, 12,000 children and seven years Palestine 12000
children into month two months. They had names dreams and
families that will never heal from losing them. America
wants you to believe that terrorists look like them when in
reality the real terrorists were military your time is up.
Thank you so much for your comments.
our next speaker is
Khalil Dennis Dennis
I speak as a child of immigrants a member of the lgbtq +
community and as an Atlantean transplant as he's all too.
Well the similarities between both our cities. We have all
been witnessing in real-time Mass execution and acted by
Israel military forces on Palestinians the death toll now
having exceeded 20000 lives of the two million people
living in hussa and 8000 of those belonging to innocent
children is a metric isn't enough. Let me frame it this way
a little over 1% of houses population has been murdered in
relationship to the u.s. Population that is equivalent to
the city of Chicago being wiped off the face of the map
including a handful of surrounding suburbs. We ordered you
all to sit with the gravity of these numbers. We must see
the connection and how the media demonizes Palestinian
resistance and how did criminalize are black and brown
communities here in Chicago. Our leaders have successfully
deceived us of 75 years of illegal occupation perpetuated
by Israel and Palestine the Palestinians living under
heightened surveillance threat of
Napping space really soldiers in restricted travel and
access to food and water. We see how Chicago politicians
profits of our labor while our families face contaminated
drinking water state-sanctioned Violence by the CPD on our
men women and children and threats of deportation. Even
though we are the largest Sanctuary City. It is a matter of
grave importance that we spread the connection between the
forced displacement of Palestinians and the economic
displacement of low-income families further out of Chicago
being a solidarity against apartheid is knowing Chicago's
History of Violence Against black and brown communities.
That being said the only way we move forward if we are to
call ourselves the progressive City. It's a call for a
Swift and immediate cease-fire. We must end the immoral
funneling of money towards American weapons manufacturers
that create the Munitions used when a collective punishment
on innocent civilians. We must prevent the ongoing spread
of infectious diseases in hussa due to destruction of the
middle of military infrastructures, but put simply our tax
dollars have not have
no right to fund this because we voted for Brandon
Johnson's represent exact. Thank you for your comment. Your
time has expired next speaker.
Next picture is Michelle Qureshi.
Hello city council members. I'm here is one of your
constituents as well as a student of Public Health with a
concentration in global Health. My focus in public health
is the mental health of children affected by War conflict
and displacement. I am also part of Chicago dissenters a
group of young people around the city and Country who are
against endless Warren militarism over 20,000 people have
been killed and visit which is already over 1% of the
population, but what is not included in this calculus is
the devastation to help beyond that number from the total
Destruction of Health infrastructure the lack of potable
water the injuries to Children men and women from the
illegal use of white phosphorus and other American-made
Munitions the rapidly spreading infectious diseases from
chicken pox to pneumonia not to mention the mental health
cars that have been informed by the overwhelming violence
and the disruption to the family structures. So necessary
to support healing the root cause and after dropping the
bomb is the state of Israel with the backing of
United States with our tax dollars with weapons
manufactured in our backyards. The only moral stance is to
call for an end to violence to call for the immediate end
to the illegal occupation of Palestine an end to the seed
and blockade of Gaza to call for a ceasefire and stop
funding the genocide of the Palestinian people the cities
of Atlanta Oakland and Dearborn have already called for a
ceasefire and for international law to be upheld. It is
time for Chicago a city known as a sanctuary City for
displaced populations in refugees and emblem of
progressivism. That will be hosting the DNC in just a few
months to stand as a leader and calling for the UN to
uphold its role in implementing UN resolution 377 uniting
for peace.
Thank you for your comments. Our next speaker is George,
Blakemore?
With me speaking now, please tell them to be stylist and
they can pull me after I speak.
Why'd you tell him that chairman has Tyler so it can very
much. Thank you very much.
Is Revolution the United Nation several years ago and in
South Africa they say now we need a law the crime against
humanity when you enslave black people in America a crime
against humanity and I'm going to give you a very quick
history lesson Palestine and Jerusalem. That's the part
that's in Africa those two people are fighting and killing
each other over the black man's land. How did they get
there. They're killing all the black men in trouble and
then by David Benoit on them all over here. Do they take
send them to Israel after after WWII? That's why a lot of
the white Jews.
Did you know Julie has a has a black man's religion did you
know Islam for started by black people? Did you know all of
that area is Africa and the enslaved of black people in
America are crime against humanity.
This holy war has been going on for thousands of years over
in Africa between the white.
You and the wife Marcy all of those with a black religious
Hindu all of them Christianity you all much they focus some
of y'all have been. Thank you for your comments.
Our next speaker is Nino Brown, Nino Brown.
damn, I don't know how far that one up but
Yeah piece. My name is a pizza if you want to fight for it
first off. My name is Nino Brown. I'm a community organizer
Elementary School educator pan-africanist in a pod member
of the party for socialism and Liberation and we stand ten
toes down with Palestinian National Liberation because we
know as Nelson Mandela said our freedom will be incomplete
without the freedom of the Palestinians. I'm not going to
go over all the things that people have already said we've
seen men and boys be stripped and Gaza Racine hospitals
churches message has been destroyed is really scaring. I
was called a second. But the guys or not but my question to
you all as which side are you on on Sunday evening Israeli
forces Target the Maternity Ward at Nassau hospital and
Southern in the southern city of communist during a selling
attack that killed at least one girl Donny. I blew my son
505 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank
since the beginning of 2023 including 279 since October
7th, and there is no harm us in the West Bank Israel keeps
on killing Palestinians because it is not an Israeli pallet
Israel hummus War.
It is a war on all Palestinians according to United Nations
about 45,000 pregnant women and 668000 breastfeeding women
in Gaza face risk of anemia bleeding and the guys are
Health Ministry says that Israel wants to eliminate guys
with health sector and my question to you always do you
support that which side are you on if you fail to pass this
resolution, you are not you are not condemning the
Palestinians who will continue to resist the genocide by
any means necessary.
What you will do is instead condemn yourself for the
relevancy standing against the entire world United Nations
at the United Nations. The United States was the only
country including Israel that whatever that is that voted
against a permanent Seaside resolution and it's
hypocritical for the mayor and the city government to bend
over backwards to welcome the DNC and Jim Croce genocide of
Joe Biden to the city, right and The Binding ministration
is continuing to green-light more and more weapons and
bombs and tools of Destruction to destroy. It doesn't.
Thank you for your comments.
The time allotted for public comment has expires so we now
will conclude public comment. Thank you to all our speakers
for being here today. I would like to know that the
committee received one reason common for the public and it
was sent out to the committee members via email. Our first
item of business is the approval of the rule 45 report from
our November meeting. Can I get a motion to approve the
November 2023 rule 45 report. So moved by other woman finds
us all those in favor of approving the November 2023 rule
45 report signify by saying I'm opposed a noun
In the opinion of the chair the eyes have it.
We will now move into our next item today, which is other
woman went as resolution, 2020 3000 5541 to call on US
Congress to clarify the US tax code to prevent if you was a
Puerto Rican tax incentives and negative economic Empire in
the Puerto Rican people either one of us. Would you like to
speak to this item?
I will keep this brief because we are here to pay attention
to the Keene issue. And that is the demand for a ceasefire
in Palestine. There's no one that understands colonialism.
The way Palestinian student boricuazo cross the diaspora in
Puerto Rico.
SL to keep this brief because Puerto Rico also stands with
a ceasefire this resolution is urging congressional action
to clarify the US tax code that has continuously allowed
for the misuse of tax incentives in Puerto Rico. The tax
code was written and passed to provide incentives to build
economic viability in Puerto Rico. What we have seen is an
abuse of that tax code by individuals who seek to avoid
taxes altogether by moving to Puerto Rico and moving their
businesses to Puerto Rico. This has led to the global
gentrification of our Island. We are watching the
privatization of beaches. We're watching major corporations
moved to the island to evade taxes so that they can
Increase their profit margins and it has a year later has
not benefited the people of Puerto Rico. In fact, we are
watching the tax code do the complete opposite order
weekends are suffering more today from poverty than they
were when the tax code was written in pass and put Puerto
Ricans in Puerto. Rico are getting this place all over the
island Puerto. Ricans can no longer afford to live in the
very Island that they call home. And so we're asking for
the Congressional Delegation in Illinois as well as the
rest of Congress President Joe Biden to clarify this tax
code to allow to economic viability to impact the people of
Puerto Rico and not rich gentrifiers. We will use this
resolution to give to our Illinois delegation the speaker
of the house and the majority leader to begin to do the
work that is necessary to stop Global gentrification and
allow the people of Puerto Rico to be the ones that benefit
from economic viability and tax incentives.
I request passage of this resolution. Thank you so much for
bringing this in front of the committee as somebody that
had to leave Puerto Rico because of economic circumstances.
I really appreciate this effort. Anybody has questions or
comments about the resolution.
I see no questions or comments. Can I get a motion to
recommend approval to this resolution? So move by Alderman
Byron, sigcho Lopez all those in favor of passing this
resolution signify by saying I'm
all those opposed say name in the opinion of the chair. The
eyes have it. I will report this phone at the
recommendation to pass at the next city council meeting.
The last item on the agenda is to consider a resolution
2020 3000 6422 which is an expression of support for United
Nations resolution 377 known as uniting for peace here
today. We have a number of individual. So before we go to
our panelists, can I get a motion to accept a substitute
resolution that we have brought so moved by other moments
Winters all those in favor of accepting the resolution for
for these The Substitute resolution signify by saying I
opposed say nay in the opening of the share the eyes have
it. So we will be considering the substitute resolution
provided everybody has had a chance to review it today. We
have a number of individuals from different disciplines to
speak on this resolution and how it is interconnected to
the struggles in our city and Beyond and why it is
important in this current moment.
Our first speaker is Rabbi Brent Rosen who will explain for
from his perspective why we need a C Spire in Palestine run
if you could introduce yourself and give your testimony.
Thank you special. Thank you to all dirosato Rodriguez for
this invitation. I'm honored to be able to offer these
remarks here today and support of this resolution. I my
name is Brent Rosen. I'm the rabbi of congregation cetak
Chicago and I'm also a co-founder of the Jewish voice for
peace rabbinical Council and I I'm here today in support of
this resolution. I also agree with so much of the powerful
testimony that was given during public comment and I want
to thank stickers for those remarks. I don't want to I'll
go over much of what has been said other than to say, I I
lift up the sentiment of the outrage over the the Jenna
saddle violence that's going on in Gaza at as we speak, but
I would like to speak in particular.
As a leader in the Jewish Community to many of the disc
genuis disingenuous and and frankly false claims about
about Jews about Judaism about Zionism about anti-Semitism
that are being lifted up particularly over the over the
past two-plus months during this this terrible tragic time,
and I hope it can at least provide a little bit of context
and as we start to consider the importance of accounting
for ceasefire and supporting this UN resolution here in the
city of Chicago.
We are living as has been said at this very moment through
an extraordinary time of Reckoning. It's not an
understatement to say this that the ongoing unspeakable
violence in israel-palestine is confronting us each and
every one of us with the most critical moral challenge of
our lifetimes.
I can personally attest that this is most certainly the
case in the Jewish community.
Send promises attack in Israel on October 7th. Many
Israelis have been deeply traumatized than any Jews
throughout the world have been as well. However, this
trauma is not being manifest in the same way throughout the
Jewish Community. There are many many Jews myself included
who are deeply grieving these losses who pray?
For the safe return of Israeli hostages, but who are also
in deep steadfast opposition to the genocide of vengeful
violence that Israel has been waging against the people of
Gaza and the Palestinian people in general over the past
two-plus months, which really should not be seen in in a
vacuum. It is really the continuation of State violence
against the Palestinian that's been going on for decades.
The Jewish Community has never been monolithic and it
certainly has never been lockstep and support for the state
of Israel.
Right. Now the divisions within our community are being
revealed in unprecedented ways for the past 2 months day
after day thousands of Jews have been organizing and taking
to the streets throughout the country engaging in Acts of
Civil Disobedience to demand an immediate ceasefire in
Gaza.
In October there were massive protests in Washington DC at
the White House and on Capitol Hill in New York City Jewish
protesters shut down Grand Central Station in the Statue of
Liberty here in Chicago hundreds of Jews and allies took
arrested Ogilvie Transportation Center last Thursday on the
final night of Hanukkah hundreds of us marched from Daley
Plaza to Boeing headquarters. This was one of eight
coordinated at Jewish actions that took place all across
the country on the final night of Hanukkah.
The events of the past two months reflect this important
Trend that has long been growing in the American Jewish
community.
The traditional Legacy Jewish organizations who have
typically reported to speak for the Jewish Community have
become out of touch on the Israel of israel-palestine. They
do not do they do not deserve to speak for us over the past
two-plus decades. Every Jewish communal survey has shown
that support for the state of Israel has been steadily
eroded in the Jewish Community the percentage of Jews
particularly young Jews who identify as anti-zionist is
growing. We are pushing back strongly on the fallacy that
Judaism equal Zionism and the deeply disingenuous
accusation that anti-zionism is anti-Semitism.
We hear this claim being made repeatedly by the state of
Israel and its advocates in the American Jewish
establishment. I'd like to offer one telling example
Jonathan Greenblatt the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League
who is one of the foremost Perpetual waiters of the strop
and has been repeating this accusation over and over
recently said this in an interview with the New Yorker and
I'm quoting Zionism a desire to go back to Jerusalem. The
longing for Zion isn't something that David Ben-Gurion came
up with it isn't something that Theodor herzl came up with
it has been embedded in the face and the traditions of
Judaism for thousands of years. You can't open a Torah on a
Saturday morning for your daily prayer. You can't go
through a holiday without seeing these references and
quote.
I'd like to address this claim head on because it is a
deeply inaccurate statement and its way a very dangerous
statement.
Greenblatt is of course correct that there is an important
Connection in Judaism to the land of Israel what we refer
to in Hebrew as eretz Israel. And yes, this connection is
quite clear throughout the word liturgy and thread Jewish
Community Jewish tradition in general. However, and this is
a big however, the notion of creating a political Jewish
nation state was never part of Jewish tradition until the
rise of the Zionist movement and the 19th century want to
repeat that for the record the notion of creating a
political Jewish nation state was never part of Jewish
tradition until the rise of this political movement.
Judaism is a centuries-old Jewish peoplehood Zionism is a
political movement of modernity that arose in Europe and
saw to radically change Jewish life and identity the most
of Jewish history. The yearning to return to Zion was
expressed as an idealized Messianic Vision. Some Jews would
make pilgrimage to the land and a small minority of
indigenous Jews consistently lived in historic Palestine
throughout the centuries, but the rabbi's fervently opposed
the establishment of a third Jewish Commonwealth. They
actually considered it to be Blasphemous. The forcing of
God's hand to create a Jewish state.
something that could only occur in the Messianic age
from the very beginning there have always been principled
Jewish opposition to Zionism.
Many Jews have embraced anti-zionism not as a matter of
traditional Messianic believe but as a matter of Jewish
moral and political conscience those of us who identify as
Jewish anti-zionist recognize that there is a fundamental
Injustice at the core of Zionism namely the creation of a
Jewish majority nation-state through the dispossession and
oppression of the Palestinian people.
It is important to note that political Zionism is a form of
ethno-nationalism. In other words. The Jewish identity of
the state of Israel is predicated on the maintenance of a
majority of one particular group of people in the land up
until 1948 Jews were a minority in Palestine and this
necessarily pose a problem for the Zionist movement in the
end. The state of Israel could only be created one way to
read Palestinians refer to as the nekfeu.
Today even many Israeli historians agree. The state of
Israel was founded to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian
Arabs from their homes and Israel's refusal to let them
return this is what happened in 1948 and this this
possession of Palestinians to make way for a Jewish state
has been happening every day since for the past 75 years.
In 2021 the selom a respected Israeli human rights
organization released an almost 300-page report in which it
concluded and I'm quoting.
Israeli regime which controls all the Territory between the
Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea 6 to advance and
cement Jewish Supremacy throughout the entire area and
quote.
I want to make this clear a prominent Israeli human rights
organization has said that Israel has created a regime of
Jewish Supremacy between the river and the Sea this is not
an anti-semitic claim. It is X-Plane rooted in
international law and human rights. This is what it means
when Palestinians and those of us who stand in solidarity
with them call for Palestine to be free from The River To
The Sea, we are expressing basic human rights that we all
should take for granted.
And it is not anti-semitic to say so.
Are there individual anti-zionist who are anti-semitic
undoubtedly, but it is disingenuous and it is wrong to
claim it anti-zionism is fundamentally anti-semitic to have
about 30 more seconds for presentations that I will jump to
the end.
This is why so many of us in the Jewish Community are
literally taking to the streets calling for an immediate
cease-fire and a return of all hostages. This is why we
welcome and support resolutions like you and resolution
free 77 and it is why we are urging our political leaders
in Chicago and on every level to join in this call for C
Spire. It is a moment of deep more Reckoning for us and for
the world history will judge us by our action or inaction
in this critical moment. And that is why or just all to
support the cause of justice and peace for all who lived
between the river and the Sea and for all who dwell on
Earth again. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to
speak to you today you for being here.
Our next speaker is Maya schenwar. She's an editor writer
and journalist. I believe that she hasn't been able to
login yet.
Okay, so we're going to go to Arthur's speaker while we
figure out the situation with Maya hair woman is she here
has been in the attendee room since we started you guys
just didn't move over to panelist. I think you just said,
okay. Yes. I'm here now. Okay. Thank you for being here. If
you could introduce yourself and then go ahead with your
testimony. We have between three and five minutes for your
testimony.
Absolutely. Thank you. I'm Irish and more. I work with the
news organization truth out and thank you so much. I'll do
Rodriguez for inviting me to speak today.
As a Chicago journalist and a Jewish person. I want to say
wholeheartedly that it is urgent for the Chicago city
council to express support for the UN invoking resolution
377 in order to push for a ceasefire.
From a media workers perspective I can share it. But many
Chicago journalist are calling for an end to Israel's
genocide against Palestinians.
Even though we are six thousand miles away. Some of us have
loved ones who are directly In Harm's Way, some of us are
documenting from afar as we witness whole families being
destroyed in minutes every day. No Day right now is a
typical news day as journalists. We are witnessing a
genocide happening in real time as 20,000 people have been
killed in Gaza.
According to the International Federation of journalists at
least 73 journalists and media workers have been killed
there in less than two and a half months surpassing the
documented number of journalists killed in the
two-decade-long Vietnam War.
We've lost colleagues were telling essential stories people
we've edited and work with closely people. We love
We've also watched collie Blues jobs when they simply try to
tell the truth about genocide and that's why should cago
journalists gathered last week for a vigil in our city to
mourn and to push bag.
We see these atrocities and Injustice is happening and we
want our city council to do everything. It can to urge an
immediate ceasefire.
For me as a Jewish journalist with deep roots in Chicago.
I'm especially devastated that my city isn't yet joining
the call and Israel's genocide against Palestinians.
As the descendant of people who led anti-Semitism and mass
expulsion. I'm witnessing with horror the fact that Force
explosions and mass killings are now being carried out in
my name.
I'm outraged and offended when I hear people including
elected officials say that they refuse to stand against
genocide all the atrocities because they are standing with
Jewish people and Rabbi Rosen expressed this sentiment
really eloquently.
Here in Chicago many Jewish people and many journalists
have been spending the past two and a half months doing
everything. We can protesting holding public specialist
getting arrested marching through the streets of downtown
making public art publicly reading the names of those
killed again, and again and again, and we've been calling
for a ceasefire now falling on elected officials to never
ever justify genocide or apartheid or colonization in our
name and we hope you will listen to us.
As a journalist as a Jewish person and as a human being I
deeply believe that it should be an urgent priority for the
Chicago city council to support the invoking of you and
resolution free 77 the Foster the push for C Spire now.
Thank you.
Thank you Maya.
Our next speaker is social cultural anthropology and
research Kelly made of Kelly if you could introduce
yourself and go ahead with their testimony.
Good afternoon. Thank you so much to the committee for
taking this important resolution into consideration and two
other get Rodriguez for inviting me here to speak with you
today. My name is Callie May. I'm a professor and associate
director of Global Studies at the University of Chicago as
an anthropologist is best spent the last 17 years or so
setting the israeli-palestinian conflict in particular are
the relationship between Israeli society and the settlement
movement and that time includes about two and a half years
living in historic Palestine both within the state of
Israel. And in the occupied West Bank, I am also an
anti-zionist to I would like to thank Rabbi Rosen for his
contribution today. He was really singing my song. I want
to start with the words of WWE the head of the Regional
Council in the north of the state of Israel near Lebanon
the whole Gaza Strip needs to be empty.
Flattened just like an Auschwitz. Let no one reside in the
Gaza Strip for all the world to see.
The statement which was on radio yesterday and Israel will
shocking and its reference to Auschwitz is nonetheless
commonplace among Israeli leadership at the highest levels
who declare that they would quote eliminate everything in
Gaza that there are no Innocents there and that they are
dealing with human animals.
From a legal and human rights perspective these statements
are not just defensive there evidence of genocide of
intense. They've also stated from the beginning that there
would be no red lines when it came to their soldiers
Behavior someone up some of the so some of the Miller
horrific stories of just the last few days can be no
surprise bodies of whole families including children and
newborn babies found piled in the UN school where they've
been Sheltering evidence that they've been shot point-blank
in an Israeli raid displaced and injured people crushed or
buried alive when Israeli forces pulled all those their
tents while they were sleeping in front of Kamel at One
hospital in Northern Gaza these stories feel outlandish or
even made up and yet they're being documented in real-time
never before has a genocide happened so publicly so
immediately in the world I and that is what
A genocide the terrible Unthinkable crimes. I just described
pale in comparison to the large-scale totalizing
destruction brought largely by air Warfare over the last
two and a half months in the public comment are very well
educated public was reminding us of the devastating numbers
that were looking at right at we are seeing we're at or
even surpassing 1% of the entire population one in every
100,000 killed in the last two-and-a-half months about 70%
of these fatalities are women and children.
At the same time 85% or 9.9 million of them are displaced
with more than 52,000 housing units destroyed. This is the
result of a strategy that's designed by AI which includes
so-called power targets, which are a public buildings
infrastructure and high rises to the level of us
intelligence of what they are actually hitting is
astonishing. It is deliberate and it is a war crime.
The Gaza Strip is 25 Mi long, which is about the length of
Chicago from Rogers Park to the Indiana border between 3
1/2 and 7 1/2 Mi wide 80% of the 2.2 million Palestinians
living in the Gaza Strip a refugees from the 1948 when the
newly-formed state of Israel displaced more than
three-quarters of Palestinians from their homes and outside
its borders. It was captured and is Real by 19 in 1967. And
since the time has been part of what is referred to as the
occupied Palestinian territories under international law
governing military occupation Israel is required to fulfill
the duties of a state maintaining the existing rules law
and ensuring that the occupied population has access to
basic amenities including food water electricity education
and Healthcare.
Albertsons 2008 Israel has held Gaza Under Siege preventing
movement of God's hands in and out of the territory and
severely restricting the import of even basic Goods such as
food stamps in that same time. There have been more than
six so-called conflicts including aerial bombardment a
study by the state of Israel released by the state of
Israel show that they have calculated the exact number of
calories required to prevent male you nutrition in Gaza and
restricted the import of food accordingly. So I tell you
all of this to say that it has failed to fulfill its
obligations and the
This is well before October 7th. So when October 7th Israel
announced the existing blockade of Gaza would now be a
total Siege blocking all fuel water with food or anything
else from entering Gaza. They knew exactly what they were
doing the total collapse of food security water
infrastructure and the hospital system means that the mass
murder of Palestinians in air strikes or ground Warfare is
being compounded by people literally starving to death
disease is spreading and without water food medicine or
shelter even a cough and turned fatal experts say that
deaths from disease and starvation will ultimately outpace
even the violent deaths we've witnessed so far we must
listen to Palestinians as they cry out for our support, but
it's not a matter of choosing who we listen to Palestinians
or Israelis Israeli leaders are telling us exactly what
they are doing and it is our moral and legal obligation.
Under the genocide Convention of 1948 of which we are
signatory to Say Never Again means never again. Thank you
very much. Thank you so much.
Next our next speaker is representative of the Lesser Rashid
here besides the 21st district in the Illinois House of
Representatives. And it's the First Palestinian American to
serve in the Illinois General Assembly representative.
Thank you very much are members of the committee? My name
is Abdul Nasir Rashid. I'm a state representative of the
21st district which includes the southwest side of Chicago.
I'm grateful for the opportunity to testify in support of
this important resolution. And I thanked the sponsors. I'm
and the older people here today for your leadership
yesterday. I learned about the new album. I sent her one of
the speakers mentioned earlier today at 12 year old girl
who lost her parents and siblings in an Israeli airstrike
in as a few weeks ago. Her leg was amputated above the
knee. She had shared with the reporter that she hoped to
get treatment abroad and eventually be able to walk again
with a prosthetic leg.
But yesterday and is really think she'll think she'll
targeted the maternity ward of the hospital and fun Eunice
where Danielle was Sheltering and she was killed.
Is among more than 8,000 children who've been crushed to
death by Rubble as a result of Israel's genocide Impreza.
The Israeli military was clear from the beginning that in
their own words. This is about destruction not accuracy a
few days ago Israeli soldiers murdered three Israeli
hostages who were who were shirtless and waving a white
flag Israel's racism against Palestinians motivates them to
kill at will and this time their policy of killing unarmed
civilians has caught particular attention because the
civilians were their own. It's not too much to ask that. We
don't enable or support this as a country as a state or as
a city. I'm grateful to the members of our Congressional
Delegation who called for a ceasefire. I also commend
Senator Durbin for introducing an amendment in the US
Senate that calls for Aid to Israel to be conditioned an
amendment that stands against giving Israel a blank check.
I will keep this brief cuz I'm just as eager as you all are
to make sure that we passed this out of this committee and
get this through the full city council, but I thank you for
your leadership again and bring this and I heard every
single member of this committee to support Reserve this
resolution. Thank you.
Thank you so much representative for being here today.
I want to make clear that the resolution that we are
hearing today. I was just a substitute was introduced by
Alderman Daniel of Sparta will collaborate a lot in this
town. So we have been working together to try to get to a
resolution that reflects our values. So I just wanted to
say thank you to other molesta or introducing this at work
with us.
Our next speaker is dr. Ahmad a doctor Ahmad is I'm sorry.
I'm going to let you introduce yourself, but their Alma
thank you for being here. Thank you. I want to thank the
council for allowing me to throw my support behind this
very important resolution. My name is Fatima. I'm in
emergency medicine physician in the south side of Chicago.
I'm also a board member of a medical charity called
medglobal that has an office in Augusta and that has
projects towards increasing the healthcare capacity and
I've been in the house and multiple times most recently
November of last year and I wanted to just briefly mention
that that's up before October 7th was during very
significant struggles. And that's part of the reason why
the organization that I work with was President does that
so I just kind of want to mention two things as I begin to
talk about how the healthcare system has come.
October 6th, if you needed an essential medicine and Reza
insulin blood pressure medicine antibiotics for common
infections the chance of that being there and Central
Storage was about 55% 55% of veil ability of essential
medicines. Let's compare that to the West Bank, which is
also Palestine. The numbers are on 90% What about Israel?
The next door neighbor? That number is 100% America. That
number is 100% So before October 7th medicine and was in
short supply before October 7th being able to get
appropriate prenatal care, especially if it was some sort
of complication was not easy many of the people unless they
had to be referred out of Gaza to get special needs
especially chemotherapy for people who have cancer or for
Pediatric patients who need special Orthopedic care.
I want to mention that I'm a member of the Palestinian
diaspora here in Chicago. I was born at Cook County
Hospital and I was raised in the south side of Chicago.
There are many people who are reeling and who are suffering
as a result of this and I want to be able to show you how a
medical professional thinks about what's happening in the
Reza thinking about the catastrophe what are some of the
comments that are being said by the International Community
which is in consensus in regards to supporting a ceasefire.
I want to be able to explain that a little further but I
also want a caveat what I'm about to say by saying there
has been a total telecommunications blackout since December
14th. So the six staff members that working on.
Mobile office and said that we have not had communication
with them in over four days and I anticipate that the
numbers that you heard these astronomical numbers of death
and destruction. Unfortunately, I anticipate that they will
be higher once were able to restore communication we talked
about the number of people who have been killed tragically
and we know that there are about fifty thousand people who
are wounded there. Also 52,000 pregnant woman has a now
that's about 180 births per day. There are eight birthing
centers. So those 50 thousand women have to go to eight
birthing centers and you maybe might expect that there
might be an ob-gyn puppies birthing centers, but most of
them are staffed by midwives were doing heroic jobs. But if
there is a complication what is going to happen to these
pregnant women and then just because they're able to give
birth hopefully safely.
What happens to the children what happens to the mothers?
We hear the stories of women who are giving birth at 2 a.m.
And asked to leave the hospital at 5 a.m. Because the
hospitals under threat of attack, they're hopping into
Wheelchairs and they are being sent to go further south.
They have not even had the chance to breastfeed their child
for the very first time and every Medical Professional
knows how important that is over 300,000 kids under the age
of five meeting mediate nutritional intervention. They're
not getting the nutrients that they need. That means that
their growth is stunted. That means that their immune
systems are weakened. They are at risk of death here and
I'm not even talking about them being hungry the world food
programme did a rapid access.
During the humanitarian pause this was during the
humanitarian pause and they found that you were in the
north of us 9 out of 10 household households were severely
hungry. What does that mean? That means they can go 24
hours without having a single meal and then they asked them
how many times in the month did you go without having food
for 24 hours and they said over 10 times. That's the sort
of hungry were talking about. That's why Oxfam said
starvation is being used as a weapon. The south of leather
is not faring much better two out of three households are
experiencing severe levels of hunger. We're hearing - food
coping mechanisms, like adults totally skipping meals so
that the kids can have food eating raw onions or raw
eggplants just to be able to have something burning ways to
be able to cook some of the food we're hearing from the
world food programme that when food is entering to Rafa.
The Palestinians are chasing the trucks that they seem to
be able to eat and when Things fall off of the trucks, you
see people in the street opening up the packages and eating
if you don't any
About Palestinian culture and Palestinian then you know how
desperate the situation is by them having to do that state
represent about the north of just mentioned doing the album
sway.
I want to just kind of reiterate that her entire family was
killed in an air strike and she miraculously survived. She
had a traumatic amputation of one of her legs to survive.
That is miraculous. She was recovering at the Maternity
Ward and I must have hospital because there are no
Rehabilitation Center. There are no physical therapist who
can do that work. So she's recovering. They're hoping she
can get a prosthetic. I can fax you wanted to be a doctor
when she grew up and then the airstrike hits that Maternity
Ward and she is murdered. She is killed. There are so many
children will face the same fate as her but what about the
children who have survived what is going to happen? They
have psychosocial support needs we heard from Doctors
Without Borders about the acronym W cnsf wounded child. No
surviving family who is going to support them who is going
to be able to make sure that they are getting vaccinated
that they are having the food that they need. There are
three hundred schools that have been destroyed and 1.9
million people have huddled into 150.
Are you in shelters? That's anywhere between 4 to 9 x
overcapacity? That means they're in every single Corner an
inch of the shelter. And if you think that those shelters
are safe, you are mistaken. Many of them have been targeted
many people have been killed to have been sheltered inside
of these you want shelters and we know that meningitis has
started to spread chicken pox over three hundred thousand
cases of infectious disease has spread what kind of care
can the people get who had these infections and diseases
what hospitals can they go to the have not already been
attacked if there are only eight hospitals out of 36 and
Elsa that are functional how much longer are these
partially functioning Hospital able to keep their doors
open? And I also want to mention the water needs the World
Health Organization says every single person in the world
needs to live off of a minimum of 100 L of water per day.
Let's put that into reference all of us here in America. We
probably use 300 L of water a day for food to clean
ourselves for all different necessities of
before October 7th in the West Bank and Gaza. They were
living off of 88 L per day and today and that they are
living off of one and a half liters of water per day are
not only starving but they're dying from thirst. They're
not only being killed but they're being wounded and maimed
and may succumb to their injuries as a result of that. As
far as one of my colleagues up here has mentioned the World
Health Organization has already said we expect to see more
people die from Death more people die.
Disease, then they ought to have been under from an Israeli
airstrike or from some other wound or injury, and I want to
just conclude with one thing.
Again, there's International humanitarian consensus the
needs to be a ceasefire the bombs need to drop but the work
and the recovery is going to take decades and every single
day that we delay a ceasefire more and more Palestinians
will be killed and more and more Palestinians will suffer
the are no sides to this there are humans. And right now
there are humans who are suffering incredibly medglobal
works in the Ukraine in Syria and Yemen and Sudan in
Venezuela and Colombia at our border and this is the worst
humanitarian catastrophe. We have ever seen even mind the
words of the UN secretary-general that has that has to
become a graveyard for children. No one and nowhere is safe
and Azusa, so I emphatically support this resolution and I
thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak here
today.
Thank you so much. Dr. Ahmad. Our next speaker is a lawyer
and activist Gina and she had it. Would you introduce
yourself and go ahead with your testimony? Of course. Good
afternoon everyone. Thank you again for having me to
testify today. I'm honored to speak on behalf of the youth
and activist in Chicago and also honor to speak in front of
so many comrades and allies and friends. My name is Bianca
had to I am a recent graduate from Georgetown law. I
recently passed the bar in Illinois. So I'm a licensed
attorney. I am previous president of sjp2 Paul previous
founder and co-president of sap Chicago and previous
co-founder and president of law students for justice in
Palestine at Georgetown law.
Today, I will not be talking about the history or the
facts. I think my colleagues over that so beautifully
instead. I first want to begin to speak to you all as a lot
of the longtime use organizer in Chicago. I speak to you as
someone who has dedicated the last eight years of their
life. They're moved to this movement the Anti-Imperialist
and cyclonus movement many of you may know me as a girl
chancing the back of city hall or being removed from the
chambers and for many of you, this is your first time here
in my story. In any case today. I represent that you two
have been to every city hall meeting to make our voices
heard from Representatives.
3 week since October 7th, but you was and I have taken off
school. They taking off work. We've taken off all our
responsibilities to be here at these meetings in the midst
of Devastation and pain in the midst of our own morning
while we could not sleep or eat watching our people died on
the screen. We showed up we came here to speak to you all.
And unfortunately, every time that we showed up we were
disappointed by Chicago represent has let us down. Although
we protested although we bought a hundred out the city hall
and the face of overwhelming majority public support
discounts on fortunately passed aldermen Silverstein's
anti-palestinian resolution that made no mention of
Palestinian lives.
But this fight this call for justice that has been ignored
by our representatives for decades is nothing new that we
have been knocking at the doors of our representatives for
years that we have been mobilizing an organizing our people
for decades from my very first Palestine 101 and sjp2 Paul
as president my first time organizing a protest as founder
and co-president best way to Chicago to meetings with
Congressman as president co-founder of us creepy creepy at
Georgetown law. I and we that you have never fallen short
of our commitment to changing a discourse and working
towards a free Palestine students and youth have always
been
The frontlines of any Liberation movement. They've always
the one been controlling and changing the discourse.
They've always been the most Unapologetic the most
aggressive with the truth.
This is especially true today more than ever. The u.s.a.
Students are everywhere. They have real estate occasion.
They have met the moment. They continue to organize
mobilize and strategize over the past month alone and
millions of people have flooded the streets of Chicago to
New York to London South Africa. We have disrupted train
stations freeways campuses weapons manufacturing sites
government buildings. We have literally change the stock
industry. The call for free Palestine is not coming all
across the world and shaking the hearts of people and even
the most remote of places at least confidential recording
by the Anti-Defamation League director. Jonathan Greenbelt
said, we have a huge a major generational problem. He said
that the end all the police have seen support for Palestine
is not limited to a certain background as an area of
soreness in the city or job. It is everywhere that an
entire generation has woken up to Palestine.
The world is waking up. The Palestine there are decades
when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades
happen. We are in those weeks.
Despite the devastation has done the sparkly what percent
of continuously not only ignoring our call about voting in
favor of our oppressors. We continue to organize and
mobilize because we know that whatever you teaching with
every protoss with every action with every calls while
representatives are there are truth gets a little louder
our power and influence its a little stronger and with it
the hope of a free Palestine as I speak to you all. Are you
organizer? I want to point out a very clear reality that
this life is not a decision. I made it sound decision I
made for myself, but it's one that I was forced upon me as
a necessity for survival. We did not choose to be at these
meetings every week. I did not choose to be mostly chanting
at the back of City Hall not choose to be protesting in the
streets every week for the past 2 months and a half. We do
not choose to be organizing siddons and actions instead of
going to work and school. It was never a choice we are born
in
This reality. We are exhausted but we know that this moment
and for the past 2 months and a half, there is no room for
exhaustion. There's no room for cowardness. There's no room
for passivity because we know the stakes I have been
helping lead the protest in Chicago that have brought up
20,000 people every single week in the streets of Chicago.
No one has answered our call not the politicians and
represents continue to ignore the call for justice.
We should not have to fight this hard. We should not I'll
have to be here every week to convince our representatives
to do what they are elected to do to represent us. It's not
a choice a combat pilot upon us all the city of Chicago
itself gives $40,000 is really just want you to fund their
Israeli war crimes on top of the 3.8 billion dollars. We
spend every year to fund Israeli war crimes. Therefore. It
is our duty As Americans and especially as Chicagoans to be
on the front lines of this run this B.
We do you organize of Chicago will never give up. You know
that we will be at every meeting you'll take the streets
every week and your continued to mobilize and so we can
still receive a ceasefire and until Palestine is free every
other here. I want you to know that we truly are not your
enemy that this us first verse them Dynamic does not exist.
We all have one common goal to make Chicago butter and to
stand by the social justice values that Chicago has
historically been known for I spoke to you all as an
organizer, but now I want to speak to you all as an
attorney and someone who recently got fired from their job
at Foley & lardner for speaking out for Palestinian rights.
Before you leave I was working at a job at fairly minor one
most prominent law firms in Chicago a few weeks ago as many
of you all. Remember. I made a speech right here in public
comments expressing support for Palestinian rights
upholding international law saying the older and silver
screen's resolution was completely one-sided one week
later. I was called into a meeting by the head Partners at
Foley & lardner. I was interrogated for this very same
speech line-by-line and I was ultimately fired by the same
speech I made right here.
Simply put Alderman. I risked everything my entire career
has been reduced to ashes the simply educate you all and
make my voice heard the voices of millions across the US
and people here right In This Very Room by this attack was
not exclusive to me. It is probably why your pattern of
attacks on people advocate for Palestinian rights. I was
fine legal alone has reported 1,000 1,000 reports of
students and workers being suppressed either fired ducks
have their jobs rescinded for speaking out for Palestinian
rights from the murder of six rolls would be ready for you
in our community the shooting of three Palestinian students
in Vermont the duck sing and firing of students and youth
right here in Chicago. It is clear that the u.s. Is foreign
policy has created this very dangerous environment for
Palestinians, and those who speak up for Palestinian
rights.
Make no mistake government discourse and on this issue has
domestic implications the discourse that you all set In
This Very Room has Ripple effects. Not only across the us
but across the world as long as we were taught. It is our
principal goal to advocate for justice. And that is why I'm
not only speaking up but fighting back and pursuing legal
action. This is why I would advise every Alderman in this
room to not give into sinus pressure and to not give in to
those who try to silence the call for justice because you
can never find us the truth. The truth is inevitable. This
is something that we know I will never regret the speech I
made right here at City Hall. I will never regret speaking
up for Palestinian rights. My only regret is that I did not
say from the river to the sea in my Beach.
I hope that My Sacrifice is honored in this room that you
truly take into account my words the words that every
member of every person has spoke your today and I would
like to thank the person the people in this room that have
never gave in to pressure and continue to stand forward and
upright for Palestinian rights Alderman was on a thank you
so much.
why don't we
By the way, I speak to us as an Arab constituent that was
born and raised in Chicago. What are my very first memories
literally my very first memory is being at anti-war
anti-iraq War rally right here in Chicago. I think I was 34
years old. I prided myself on being from Chicago or little
Palestine the third largest city in the u.s. Home to the
largest mountain in community in the US homes have many
variety of communities and cultures that Chicago was the
progressive City the leader among cities in the US that
continue to advocate for justice and Civil Rights Movement.
But today I am honestly it hurts me to say but my pride has
been overshadowed by Shane. It's been two months since I
first came to this chamber asking for Chicago's take a
stand to prevent the Indescribable violence that we all
knew was coming against the people of faiza butt. Here we
are.
372 / 18000 Palestinians have been killed in a husband
almost half of those were children. We are 72 and every
minute that goes by literally every minute that we are
standing here more Palestinians continue to be killed. We
are Day 72 and we are still debating whether a C Spire and
the bare minimum should be called.
We are they 72 in rehab had 20,000 people out in the
streets every week. I speak to you all and I tell you from
the bottom of my heart. I can no longer handle sing another
video of a child covered in Inverness.
I can no longer see a father calling for his children from
under the rubble.
I can no longer go through the day wondering if be sent
that says and our other journalists, I made it through the
day.
I can no longer.
Wake up and go to sleep with the screams of our people.
We hold every representative accountable that debating that
everyone presented. We debated our Humanity a constable.
During one of the worst genocides in our modern-day history
just as we remember those who voted for the floors work or
nose. Just remember those who stood for the Civil Rights
against the Civil Rights Movement as bigots. Remember 2020
323 make no mistake will be etched into the history books
as a Monumental time in the car for freedom of not only
Palestinian people. But all of the people your names will
be etched into the history books. What will they say when
they say that you stood by genocide and war crimes or will
they say and I know so many members in this chamber. They
will say that you stood by freedom and Liberation for the
Palestinian people.
I would like to end with a quote by it. If I thought I read
an artist or writer and friends for many of us in this room
that had been killed by Israeli airstrikes earlier this
week.
He said they're supposed find that both those in all of us.
I try to find that needs to be rescued a free Palestine
were all people regardless of color religion or race
coexist by Ty Dolla Sign where the meaning of the word
occupation is not restricted to the dictionary that says
that it's is not restricted to the dictionary says rather
than the fancy of meanings and connotations of death
destruction in pain and suffering deprivation isolation and
restriction that it's not even has injected that the word
with I heard you all.
Honor the fact. I love you are Community member our son.
Are all of us here in this room in the Palestinian
community and to vote for a ceasefire and to continuously
stand for the Palestinian people and again to make Chicago.
The mix Chicago. Once again the leader in the Civil Rights
and social justice movement that has historically been
known for. Thank you all so much. Thank you.
our last speaker
Our last speaker is dr. Barbara Rusty Professor Rider
historian and activists. That's a recipe if you could
introduce yourself and go ahead with your testimony. Thank
you. Thank you. So little left to say I really am honored
to be on this panel. I'm a historian. I'm Philly ated with
black from Palestine went on a delegation in 2011. This
issue is very close to my heart. We still miss stress me
out all day who was forced to leave us too soon. So I know
that many of you here already in agreement on this issue
and many of you have already spoken very very eloquently. I
want to thank Alder Rodriguez and Alder teach go Lopez
alter Fuentes alter Sparta for having the moral courage to
put this issue front and center for us.
I'm here today because I have to be we cannot afford to be
silent on this question. What is happening in Gaza? As we
speak is an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population
of Gaza is a genocide or Purge people are being forced to
leave homes that they know they will never return to
because those homes are being destroyed people are saying
goodbye to family and neighbors. They will never see again
because those human lives are being destroyed. What else
can we call it but a genocide
Purge and ethnic cleansing I don't relish using these
terms. I wish there were other terms. I wish they were
Kinder gentler words to describe what is happening in Gaza,
but it is all too well documented in excruciating detail.
I want to a my brief time address three questions. What is
at stake? What might be standing in the way of our taking a
strong stance in support of this resolution and why this
should matter to us here in Chicago and particularly the
black community.
I guarantee you when historians look back at this moment as
cope analysts have pointed out it will be one of the pivot
Points of early 21st century world history. It will be one
of the great moral tragedy of our time. This issue is
complicated and it's simple Israeli government is dropping
2000 lb bombs on a heavily populated civilian area or two
million people and half of them are children over 20,000
people have been killed in two months with an hours of the
October 7th attack which was horrible and we should all
condemned it within hours of that attack Israel cut off.
And water and medical supplies to the residence of Gaza in
flagrant violation of international law.
What happens to children when they have no food as dr. Ahmed
reminded us what happens when people can not keep clean
water to drink when diabetic cannot get their insulin when
generally when generators in the hospital go out. It is
brutal. It is cruel is torturous and it is ugly. The UN has
called Gaza a graveyard for children. That is what is that
state? We know there are many other tragedies in the world
and I worry about all of them. I worry about Haiti in the
Congo and Darfur and the uyghurs in China and the rohingyas
in Myanmar and the list goes on.
But the situation in Palestine is a media. It is stoppable
and our government is deeply deeply complicit billions of
our tax dollars go to Israel annually and Biden had the
audacity to replace 14 billion dollars special Aid last
month alone a lot of which will go toward Israeli military
to continue this war against the people of Gaza.
Now, why is this not an easy decision for some people?
The issue of anti-Semitism is brought up time. And again
anti-Semitism is real it is evil and we should all opposed
it. I have done so consistently throughout my life British
system of the government of Israel. However is not
antisemitism criticism of the government's of Myanmar and
China and the Philippines is not anti-asian racism
criticism of the government of the Congo and Sudan and
Zimbabwe are now
examples of anti-black racism
is not only not anti-semitic to criticize the government of
Israel in this moment. It is a moral imperative to
criticize the government of Israel in this moment and to
demand a permanent ceasefire now Jews all over the world
have been protesting this horrific assault on the humanity
of the people of Gaza from New York to LA to Chicago to
London. They are not anti-semitic and neither are we
another argument in defense of Silence on Gaza is that
Israel has a right to self-defense in what moral Universe
does it country have the right to wage a war on the
civilian population as a part of a military defense
strategy is a politically unsound and morally reprehensible
argument that what Israel is doing in Gaza can be justified
in the name of any kind of self-defense tell that to a
twenty-year-old engineering student who had her right leg
blown off tell that to a two-year-old whose whole family
was killed in there when they are part was bombed who kept
calling out Daddy to The Men Who resembled his father in
the hospital.
Tell it to my friend who lives here in Chicago who lost over
30 members of his extended family in a single day.
We deal with a lot of violence in Chicago and some of it is
retaliatory violence. If someone from Woodlawn came in to
Hyde Park and harm someone in my family would I have the
right to make a wholesale assault on the entire
neighborhood of Woodlawn to ferret out the individual who
committed an act of violence in that case could my security
be legitimately purchased at the lives of other innocent
people? I don't think so.
Marisa ward of CNN reported four days ago from inside guys
and I sightseeing in because they have been particularly
irresponsible and terrible on this question. But even in
the words of a CNN reporter Israel and Gaza will go down as
one of the great horrors of Modern Warfare. She concluded
as her team pulled out of Gaza that evening as night fell
we have witnessed a window into hell Antonio guterres the
UN secretary-general again describes Gaza as a graveyard
for children. He Echoes the sentiments of Human Rights
Watch Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF Amnesty International
all of whom are pointing to this as a human rights crisis
that cannot be ignored. It is incumbent upon us as we stand
in this moment to stand on the right side of history and I
say that as a historian that these moments are pivot Points
and historians do look back and they
We'll look back and they will ask where Did We Stand who
was silent and who spoke out?
Find me I want address the question of what does all this
have to do with us. Here. We are in Chicago six thousand
miles away. They're not bombs dropping on us many of us are
not Palestinian or Israeli or Jewish or Muslim. Why do we
have to say anyting?
Now I come to you as a person who has been involved in the
black Freedom Movement for more years than I care to
recall. I became an activist in Detroit when I was 16. I'm
now 66 so that makes 50 years in this work in one way or
another. I have March and rally and petitioned and written
on a range of issues from immigration Justice to
Reproductive Rights to Auntie police violence. Palestine
has always been a part of our movement. There's a long
history of black support for the Palestinian people from
Malcolm X in 1964, when he met with Palestinian leaders and
expressed solidarity to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee in 1967, which issued a powerful statement on
Palestine condemning the theft of Palestinian land for the
Reverend Jesse Jackson who travel to the region is that
with Palestinian leaders in a fern solidarity in 79
Black feminist have been in the Forefront as well from audre
Lorde to June Jordan to Alice Walker to Angela Davis. They
have all stood for Palestinian human rights and
self-determination, as did the members of the combahee
river collective in 2011. I went on an indigenous feminism
color delegation to Palestine and I was struck by comments
by my friend and sister Beverly guy shaft out who teaches
at Spelman College Prep in Memphis, Tennessee under Jim
Crow segregation. She spoke powerfully and emotionally
about how much the treatment of Palestinians in the
occupied territory reminded her of her own experiences in
the Jim Crow South.
Do for me the connections are clear not only in a general
abstract sense, but also in a very personal sense when I
was there. We saw the violence of the occupation up close
and it was breathtaking. What is happening in Gaza. Today
is happening on our watch. There's simply no moral
justification for silence in this moment. No matter who we
are or where we are.
I'm reminded of thinking I'm reminded and thinking of why
should Gaza matter to us of the words of the Great Chicago
poet Gwendolyn Brooks. And those of you who know the work
of Gwendolyn Brooks may know the words that I'm about to
info.
We are each others Harvest. We are each other's business.
We are each other's magnitude and bond. I'm also reminded
of those activists in jvp and not in my name who have been
arrested in large numbers chanting not in our names and
never again means never again to anyone and I hope we get
the support of entire city council on this resolution.
Thank you.
Thank you doctor ransby and thank you to all of our
speakers that have come here today to help us make the case
for the importance of passing this resolution today. Now,
I'm going to open space for comments or questions that you
might have for our panelists or about the the resolution.
Yes.
One of clarification. Can I set the record that Chicago
gives 40,000 to real? I think I misspoke with the ice want
to be right on record or three million a million. Yeah.
Sorry. I think I thank you. I have Alderman to Sparta and
then I have Alderman 60 Lopez.
Thank you very much. Your woman. I I I will try to be brief
because there's there's not much that I can add with
greater passion or moral Clarity or more Authority than has
already been said, but I will speak to the Y and the Wolf
of resolution free 77 in terms of those who comment at us.
Why is this nation for the city council? We are authorized.
I think we were demanded to speak on every issue that
demands attention from our constituents that hurts an
impact their lives. That is to me why we speak and it is
not a new thing for the city council to speak on
International matters nor on the israeli-palestinian
conflict. I would actually draw attention to the fact that
before you or so weird shared this very committee. It was
chaired by alderperson Coco Joe Marino and during his time
sharing this committee. They passed resolution 2015.
569 which found boycott divestment and sanctions so
abhorrent as a matter. They actually demanded our Pension
funds divest from any company that did divest from the
nation of Israel. We found it so abhorrent at the time to
engage properly in this conflict that we would take away
any effective tool from actually engaging in this work. So
this is not new for either this
How many northern city council to engage in this space? I
did want to speak to resolution 377. What is this goes
actually back to 1950 that said in any moment when the
security Council could not act within his primary
responsibility of securing the Peace of the world that the
general assembly could act instead. It's been enacted about
this over a dozen times since 1954 of those in 1980 1980 to
1997 and 2023 when the United States vetoed actions that
would have engaged on behalf of the Palestinian people in
this conflict. Most recently just last week which is why
this is a very appropriate matter for this resolution.
finally, I will only speak in my
limited role as a parent. I remember when my daughter was
born. She had to briefly go to the Nick you
I can only imagine how I would have felt if there was no
power available in the Nikki when she was sent there every
day for all the work that we do here. The most important
thing I want to do on any given day is keep my daughter
warm. Keep my daughter well-fed and keep her alive and
safe.
If anyone was threatening my ability to do that I would
call for anyone with any power to ask for ceasefire.
The fact that that's happening daily in Gaza Grieves me to
know and the fact that there are more children who have
been killed in this conflict that and attend all of the
schools in the First Ward combined is a trauma that I I
can't even grapple with the repercussions of but it's what
brings me here today, and I will only say it thinking again
of my daughter at some point. I hope that her schools allow
her to learn about this conflict, and I hope and believe
that when she asks me what I did with the power that I had
in this moment that I can say to her that I too have no
regrets in calling fervently for ceasefire. Thank you.
Thank you. I'll MLS para next I have other men Byron sigcho
Lopez.
Thank you, your woman and prayers and foremost. I mean
think of everybody in the city of Chicago special things
for the penalties for being here today and for the courage
of the moment I speak directly to those.
crabbing
victims of the genocide
and his apartheid that did not his start on October 2nd,
October 7th.
Want to give a special thanks to the church women Rosendo
Rodriguez Sanchez for the clarity and the courage of the
moment when others are silent while children and women are
being murdered.
James Baldwin remembers in a thing remind us of the
importance of humanity in terms of Darkness widely say all
children are all ours.
If we truly believe in those Wards, and I'm glad to get a
really good factual historic assessment.
of these historic atrocity
And I will have to start but the spelling.
the Mist
use the words of a policy term Diplomat when he said that
it was the mist of a land without a people or a people
without land, but they were people on this land and they
are the Palestinian people.
the descendants of Jesus
So when we see reactionary forces using religion.
still hate
Time to Kill
the name of justice is an atrocity and a work, right?
But he was Chicago nothing is important to understand why
they have so much relevance.
When we see a six-year-old boy policy name with the
building stopped.
28 *
mother is
fortunate to be alive.
But I tell you the Beast.
these atrocities
demands the action
what is stepping up every single elected officer?
Because your actions have consequences.
How's the weather at work? Thank those colleagues.
walked out before
I need complete resolution was voted in this very same
counsel.
Because we can not make decisions.
guitars with Solutions
But I'm going to lie bias by the our our history.
Today remind us that history is not that and that we must
remember an oral history. So we don't repeat it and it's
critical that we know that we cannot be free.
Antelope relatives in Gaza are free.
I'm blessed to be able to talk about peace.
We got to talk about Liberation because they cannot be
peace without liberation of all people.
Black and brown solidarity in that sense has a lot of
history in the city of Chicago.
Dr. Ramsey reminders with a history
and I Q Street today is
pretty cool
Stop a political movement. That is scientism.
For trying to reinvent themselves.
inter-religious
Colt
violence
a murder
I wish you not be afraid of calling things for what they
are.
when we see the atrocities and genocide
4 days on and on
Pope Francis has described these as terrorism.
1 is not short of that.
An alarm, please. I'm going in through deaf ears.
But to tell you the people are watching.
And the people would remember.
And we have an opportunity to make right?
Did the generations of Injustice and I'm glad all the money
spot to remind remind us of some of those.
Because I tell you that that suffering or generations of
Palestinians and the murder that will witness cannot be in
vain and it would not be in vain.
And we don't want to build a future for children.
When people are afraid to talk and censorship, I'm fear and
violence and death.
That is the model.
That is spreading to our communities.
in the name of Christianity
But let us remember.
Let us remember and I'm glad that one of our testimonies
today a 50 years ago.
history repeats itself once again
The difference is that we have an opportunity to change
history together.
Did we saw take upon ourselves?
the fight for real Justice on liberation
today's International Nygren day
displaced people
suffering people
The people that uses call us to help.
When do it when we Thursday reminder?
Remind me to give my brothers sisters and siblings access
to water.
Where we were and shelter will call to help people have
access to shelter.
But that is not what we see today.
Who is he over 73 journalist being killed.
teachers lawyers
poets
what is the name that we need to use them? It is no
genocide on a tie.
Guess it was already struggling before October 7th.
but the reactionary forces make us
pink
but everything started on October 7th.
On behalf of the people that I represent in the 25th Ward
and many Palestinian brothers sisters and siblings.
Have four wheelers for 7 determination.
Because of the same models of displace our community the
old is Luke a prophet.
Those are the reactionary models that intend to create fear
and confusion to us. That is a very clear position on the
situation in Palestine.
that we must have
a federal government that protects the most vulnerable and
protect all of us
we can all bypass Congress to give 116 billion dollars.
116 billion dollars to bump to remember women
40 m is how much in Chicago?
today
will reminder what remind us of that dream. Reverend Martin
Luther King had
But if we can make it happen in Chicago.
That's what we must lead on this fight.
Please tell me dirty because people decide on the westside
understand this is trouble.
in fact previous commanders of the police department used
to train
in Israel
so today I
read my colleagues DeLuca history.
to look in the Mortal Kombat X
I'm more important than anything else.
Do not let the martyrs in Palestine continue to suffer or
to suffer in vain.
It is deeply painful.
to see the displacement of people lean violence
an aligned with this
because we do believe that we should liberate.
All hostages so literally right all the 2 million hostages.
Gaza
a lot of Liberate the Southside on the Westside
I'm all the poor areas across the continent.
imperialism
Capitalism vs. Ended racism and today let us come together
as working people.
Just under four was just for the liberation of Gaza. Which
means that is the liberation of Chicago. So we must care
and thank you all for being here. I know commitment to make
sure that we in the next Council get all the 26 bones that
we need because it should be an anonymous resolution, but
it does make a commitment to make sure that this resolution
not supported for those of us who believe in humanity on
site but a different one for children and thank you so
much. Thanks for all your man next. I have other woman Fun
Pack.
Thank you chairwoman. Subject matter experts organizers
activist movement leaders Alderman Daniel the Spotify for
getting us to a place where we can actually have a subject
matter Hearing in committee.
My solidarity with the Palestinian Community started at the
age of 19 other freshmen at Northeastern Illinois
University. I had become the president of a student
organization called Union for Puerto Rican students.
And found siblings in an organization called Palestine for
justice.
I immediately had become involved with the campaign to
prevent the deportation of stress me out all day while we
fought for the freedom of us, Lopez Rivera Puerto Rican
political prisoner.
Palestinian stood with us when we went to Vegas to demand
for the Navy to stop occupying or Island.
Palestinian stood with us movie called on the US Congress.
to end the colonialism of Puerto Rico
Palestinian stood with us when the United States practice
Financial austerity on Working Class People on the island
and across the diaspora and now Palestine needs us to stand
with them in a moment in which murder and genocide. Is
there everyday experience?
We had a colleague tweet.
That we are going to have a conversation around the
resolution that does not demand.
for the release of hostages
I don't know if our colleague understands what resolution
377 is.
I want to bring Clarity to what we are demanding.
We are demanding that a resolution be enacted because the
UN has not been able to fulfill their obligation in
international safety.
This resolution calls for facilitation of that piece.
It also means the release of hostages means providing the
resources that are necessary to ensure that we no longer
have innocent civilians died.
The children it's a list.
That mothers get to raise their children's.
that fathers
and brothers and Sons
continue to thrive in their home place.
It is a basic human Quest.
Subject matter experts said we are in a moment more
recognition.
And some of my colleagues have alluded to this did not
begin on October 7th.
Occupation and colonialism has lived and thrived in
Palestine.
It is responsible for creating the largest open-air prison
that we have seen in our entire globe.
Palestinians today are being deprived of water food
medicine safety and shelter.
Petar the city with the largest Palestinian diaspora in the
country.
This Council has an obligation to speak up.
I'm only saddened that there are not more colleagues that
find it to be a moral obligation to speak up.
requesting a ceasefire
Is a basic human demand?
These people deserve to live.
The ethnic cleansing in the genocide that we are watching
take place.
It's not only traumatic.
It will inform.
future Behavior
Everybody in the club.
We are being talked.
to murder
until Wipeout
a group of people
when you want to claim space in land as a dangerous
precedent to set
and it is in this moment where we can read the fine what we
are learning.
We can read the fine or social behaviors.
And so
it is an unfortunate subject matter hearing to have
I wish it when we didn't have too hot out. I wish it was
one that we didn't have to organize around.
My colleague said that history is repeating itself.
I think that history is not repeating itself. It's begging
to be resolved.
It is begging to be resolved.
And it is in this moment that we can resolve it.
That means that we have to continue to organize.
We have to continue to educate and debunk.
The false claims narratives that many people are creating
that journalists are elevating an affirming.
lots of challenges and not sit complicit
and such a Horror Story.
I said today. I vote Yes to this resolution. I vote Yes
every day every day until we get a ceasefire. Thank you.
I'm going to take a few minutes to address this resolution
Puerto Rican woman who grew up in Puerto Rico list of an
issue of understanding and respecting and uplifting the
humanity of Palestinians. It just boils down to that.
Palestinian people have been dehumanized for so long just
like black people are the human eyes just like Puerto.
Ricans are the human eyes.
Just like so many.
People in our society are the human eyes.
When I think about my own life and I think about the
Injustice has that the people of Puerto Rico have had to
Endor.
They having our island of Vieques bomb for 60 years just to
practice for us Wars.
14 year old kids with
Cancer because of radiation.
Because we are not being as human enough to have our lives
respected. And this is exactly the history of Palestine and
it is the history of Palestinian people in Palestinian
people who love their children as much as we love our
children and it is crazy to me that we have to come here to
say that
and they love their fathers as much as I love my father.
And they love their communities as much as we love our
communities.
and it is
the right thing to do to take a stance today in this
Council.
And I start the right of Palestinians to live to live. Is
that basic what we're doing today?
So if there are no further comments or questions on this
resolution, can I get a motion to recommend approval of
this resolution? So move by other woman Flint us all those
in favor of approving the resolution signify by saying I
apostate name
Is a nurse upstairs the eyes have it? I'll report this
phone as a recommendation to pass at the next city council
meeting. Thank you so much everybody for being here today.
I'm sorry, we have to adjourn. Can I get a motion to
adjourn?
MSN it going to take me for my thing. I've a birthday name
b a s t i c k this meeting is adjourned.