Chicago becomes the largest city in the U.S. to endorse a ceasefire in Gaza after historic City Council Vote
Today, Chicago became the largest city to endorse a ceasefire, supported by the work of a multi-racial, multi-faith coalition of 165 community organizations and over 100 Chicago City Council staffers. For the past few months, MJF has been working with Chicago Progressive Staffers and over 165 organizations calling for ceasefire in Chicago. In December, MJF co-led a coalition letter to support Chicago Progressive Staffers that garnered 165 organizational endorsements. That letter became an organizing call for groups to come together with Chicago Progressive Staffers to work together and strategize together. MJF also conducted targeted outreach to Alders across Chicago where we have a presence to push them to vote YES to a Ceasefire. This morning, we joined Rev. Jesse Jackson and Chicago Palestinian leaders and Alders to call for Ceasefire.
This vote comes 116 days after the start of Israel’s most recent onslaught in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 26,400 Palestinians, mainly women and children, and injured over 64,400. The vast majority of Palestinians in Gaza are displaced and face starvation and disease as Israel blocks humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, including water, food, and critical medicine.
This vote is also significant given Chicago is the host for the DNC this summer. For MJF, this is a huge learning moment that speaks to the power of inside-outside organizing. The incredible leadership of Chicago Progressive Staffers, alongside Alders who were formerly organizers, and the fact a mayor who was elected by organizers is a testament to organizing produces wins for us on the inside and the outside. The long history of Palestinian organizing and multiracial organizing in Chicago played a huge role in bringing out thousands of Chicagoans to protest. Groups like USPCN, AMP - Chicago, SJP - Chicago, Dissenters, IFNotNow Chicago, JVP Chicago, and CAARP all mobilized tens of thousands of people to show up every week. Yesterday, high school youth from Chicago staged a walk-out and showed up to City Hall to demand Alders support Ceasefire. Faith-leaders and hundreds of Jewish community members wrote emails and made calls to demand a Ceasefire. All of this organizing is responsible for this victory, despite us being up against the full force of AIPAC, the ADL, and Zionist forces.
As we shared in our collective press release, "The passing of this resolution was a major victory, but the work does not end there. As long as Israel’s occupation of Palestine continues, we will fight for justice, freedom, and safety for all. We will continue to fight against the dehumanization and contempt for Palestinian life. We remain committed to our goal of ensuring that our city stands for human dignity and peace, and continues to speak up against injustice, from Chicago to Palestine." We also want to take this moment to remember 6-year-old Wadea al Fayoume who was murdered by his landlord in Chicagoland area for being Palestinian, Arab and Muslim. May we continue to fight for Wadeas and the many others whose lives have been taken by this genocide.
