While hundreds of protesters chanted and several disruptions stalled proceedings until order was restored, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted 8 to 3 Jan. 9 to approve a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“I rise saddened that the situation in Gaza and Israel continues unabated,” Supervisor Aaron Peskin, board president who ultimately voted for the resolution, said condemning actions on both sides of the conflict. “I say this as the son of a mother who was born in Tel Aviv in 1940 and was eight years old when Israel became a nation.”
No public comment was allowed, after hours of such the night before at a special hearing to consider the resolution, which calls for a sustained cease-fire, humanitarian aid, release of all hostages, and condemning anti-Semitic, anti-Palestinian, and Islamophobic rhetoric and attacks.
Protests have abounded in California and across the country after Israel responded in force to the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7.
Last month and for the most recent hearings, activists descended on board of supervisors’ meetings carrying signs decrying tens of thousands of Palestinians reportedly killed as a result of the fighting, with others lamenting that much of the population is displaced from their homes.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Supervisor Dean Preston, author of the resolution, said during the recent meeting. “We’ve never seen this level of engagement and passion, and so many people coming forward to share their views.”
Some have waited five hours outside the building and lined up in hallways for the opportunity to speak for one minute during public comment portions of meetings, and thousands of emails related to the matter have been received, he said.
One supporter on the board said the collective action by protesters and supervisors will ultimately save lives.
“This action ... is going to play a role in saving lives in a real way,” Supervisor Hillary Ronen said during the meeting. “Despite many people claiming that we should have no business at the local level talking about this issue or taking a stand, I believe we’re going to start something here today that’s going to take off across cities all over the United States.”
She said she believes the resolution is an important first step toward addressing the situation in the Middle East.
“If enough of us speak out, President Biden will have to listen,” Ms. Ronen said. “And there’s no doubt in my mind that without the weapons, money, and backing of the United States, the far-right government in Israel will not be able to continue its ethnic cleansing campaign against the Palestinian people.”
Others on the panel also questioned Israel’s military response.
Resolution Sends ‘Dangerous and Unthinkable Message’: Critics
But critics of the resolution steadfastly denounced such discussion as dangerous and misguided.“If we reward terrorism by platforming the grievances that underlie it ... it sends a dangerous and unthinkable message that terrorism works,” Supervisor Matt Dorsey said.
With the crowd instantly growing loud with a chorus of boos and shouts following any dissenting opinions, even more so after Mr. Dorsey’s remarks, the board president demanded silence and warned protesters that he would call a recess and no vote would occur if the behavior continued.
After order was temporarily restored, Mr. Dorsey continued his statement, saying he is at odds with close friends and loved ones regarding the issue, but will continue to let his conscience be his guide.
“What haunts me about this process, what haunts me as much as anything I’ve encountered in more than 20 years of working in this building is hearing the orchestrated denialism about what happened on Oct. 7,” Mr. Dorsey said. “That is not worthy of the city of St. Francis, and it is not worthy of this Board of Supervisors.”
Calling the behavior of some protesters “beyond frightening,” Supervisor Catherine Stefani told the crowd they should blame Hamas for “breaking the cease-fire on Oct. 7.”
“I’m not going to stay silent on these issues,” she said. “You cannot call for a cease-fire without calling for Hamas to surrender.”
The supervisors ultimately passed the resolution, with members of the public erupting in applause, dancing, and yelling in the chamber.
Several board members joined in, standing and clapping along before Mr. Peskin, the board’s president, ordered a recess to again restore order.
