Lobbying the Waukegan City Council at its past five meetings — dating back to early May — to vote on a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, scores of people supporting the Palestinian cause disrupted Monday’s council meeting and stormed out after the proposal was defeated.
Comments like “shame on you” and “cease-fire now” were heard after those in the audience learned they would not have the opportunity to speak until the end of the meeting.
After demonstrating for nearly four minutes, the group advocating for the cease-fire left taking its protest to the City Hall lobby, and then outside for at least an hour after the meeting adjourned.
The City Council voted 4-3, with two abstentions, to reject the resolution at City Hall in Waukegan with no debate after Ald. Victor Felix, 4th Ward, read the proposal aloud to his colleagues and a crowd of more than 150 people. Many were there to support the measure.
With Mayor Ann Taylor not attending the meeting, Ald. Thomas Hayes, 9th Ward, acted as mayor pro tem and led the meeting.
People have been asking the council to consider a cease-fire resolution for weeks during the public comment portion of meetings, often with as many as 20 or more supporting the Palestinian cause. They repeatedly thinking there would be a vote on their requested resolution.
Felix said on July 1 he wanted to collaborate with other council members to craft a resolution which was both fair and would have the support of a majority.
Reading the 445-word resolution aloud, he mentioned the loss of life and pain felt by both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as a rationale for the city to delve into international affairs.
“The City of Waukegan recognizes the importance of international peace and stability and the role that local communities can play in fostering understanding and advocating for peaceful resolutions to conflicts,” Felix read from the document.
When Felix finished, none of the council members offered suggestions, and no one spoke in favor or against the resolution. Felix, Ald. Sylvia Sims Bolton, 1st Ward, and Jose A. Guzman, 2nd Ward, voted for it. The audience applauded as each said “yes.”
As Hayes, Ald. Michael Donnenwirth, 7th Ward, Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, and Ald. Juan Martinez, 4th Ward, voted no, the crowd chanted, ‘Shame.” Ald. Edith Newsome, 5th Ward, and Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, abstained.
After the vote and a storm approaching, Hayes suggested conducting other council business before audience time. But, audience time never happened because many in the crowd erupted in anger at that suggestion and left.
“Based on our comments earlier and what everybody can see out the window, I don’t want to undercut the importance of audience time especially tonight,” Hayes said. “However, we have city business we need to get to. We will have audience time (after that) so long as weather permits.”
After the council took seven minutes to conduct its other business, nearly everyone in the crowd was in the City Hall lobby and later outside the front door offering a variety of chants including calls for a cease-fire and the vow to “shut it down” if no such resolution was passed.
As the group of at least 30 moved outside, chants of “Israel is a racist state,” were heard.
After the meeting, Felix said he worked hard to both write the resolution, modify it to soften some of the language and gain the support of his colleagues.
“It was very neutral,” he said. “It is public and everyone could analyze it. The aldermen had the opportunity to vote for it. Everything was very peaceful until certain individuals starting riling people in an angry manner.”
Aurora Flores, a Waukegan resident who has advocated for the resolution at multiple meetings, did not leave with the crowd. She remained for the entire meeting. She was displeased about the vote.
“I’m very disappointed after they had an opportunity to collaborate that this was the result,” Flores said in an interview after the meeting. “I don’t want anyone representing me who voted against this cease-fire resolution.”
