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LA CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION - On June 5, 2024, a resolution was presented to the Los Angeles City Council, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict, the unconditional return of all hostages, and a strong stance against harmful or racist language. The resolution, which supports peaceful diplomacy and an end to the violence, was referred to the Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee (REIRC). This committee is chaired by Councilmember Paul Krekorian and includes Councilmembers Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Bob Blumenfield.
The resolution has garnered support from the LA 4 Palestine campaign and was sponsored by Councilmembers Eunisses Hernández, Hugo Soto-Martínez, and Nithya Raman. Despite its importance, the resolution's path through the legislative process has been anything but smooth. It was scheduled for a hearing in the REIRC on June 21, but the meeting was abruptly cancelled. Ironically, just an hour later, the same committee convened for a "special" meeting, yet the ceasefire resolution was conspicuously absent from the agenda.
This situation has sparked significant concern and frustration among activists and supporters of the resolution. Sixteen other cities in the Greater Los Angeles area, including Cudahy, Pasadena, Long Beach, and Santa Ana, have already passed similar ceasefire resolutions. Given its size and influence, Los Angeles is expected to lead this effort, yet it lags behind.
The next REIRC meeting is scheduled for August 16, and the LA 4 Palestine campaign is actively engaging with committee members to ensure the resolution is agendized without further delays or procedural obstructions. As of now, only three of the fifteen councilmembers have publicly expressed support for the resolution, a fact that underscores the challenge ahead for its advocates. The campaign is also rallying broader support, noting that the Los Angeles County Labor Federation and U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler have called for a ceasefire.
Estee Chandler, Board Chair of Jewish Voice for Peace Action, voiced her disappointment in the City Council’s handling of the resolution, stating, "Over these past nearly 10 months of watching a genocide play out in front of our eyes, many Angelenos have felt ashamed of our City Council representatives by their lack of compassion for the victims—Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, and anti-Zionist constituents—and the mockery they have made of the rules and norms of the LA City Council. Time after time, constituents come before them to make public comment, and when they don’t cancel meetings to avoid public criticism, the majority of council members are either absent from chambers or busy on their phones or talking to each other instead of respectfully listening to their own constituents. Their behavior will not be forgotten when it comes time to support challengers for their seats and fill out our ballots."
The battle to get the resolution passed in Los Angeles continues, with its advocates determined to overcome the obstacles and push for a city that leads by example in the call for peace and justice.
(Nyabingi Kuti is the Director of the LA Harm Reduction Network, whose goal is to reduce the negative intersectional impacts of healthcare disparities, militarism, climate change, community violence and incarceration on the most vulnerable in America.)
