Cleveland City Council stalls again on ceasefire resolution

While many city councils across the U.S. have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Palestine, Cleveland City Council refuses to do so. Instead, Council President Blaine Griffin has insisted on a resolution agreeable to “all parties that are involved,” i.e., Palestinians and the Zionists who support Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.

As they have done every Monday evening for months, Palestinians and allies packed City Council chambers Jan. 29. While waiting in line at the metal detector they chanted “Free, free Palestine!” and “We want justice, you say how. Pass the resolution now!” Inside the chambers — where President Griffin announced new rules on “disruptions” — they engaged in limited protest to avoid being removed or arrested. They held small signs calling for a ceasefire or giving the names and ages of Palestinian children killed in Gaza. At 10-minute intervals, organizers led a chant of “Every ten minutes a child dies in Palestine.”

Council member Rebecca Maurer, who is Jewish, spoke strongly in favor of the ceasefire resolution, apologizing to the Palestinian community for not speaking up sooner. She received loud applause. But, unable to agree on the wording, the City Council once again failed to vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire.

Earlier, on Jan. 26, about 250 people held a march and rally in downtown Cleveland.

Protest for Palestine outside Cleveland City Hall, Jan. 26, 2024.
Photo: Don Bryant