Laura Glesby Photo
Protesters rally outside City Hall ...
... before filling the Aldermanic Chamber for Monday's vote.
The Board of Alders voted not to adopt a proposed resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday evening, prompting backlash from over a hundred protesters.
Instead of approving the resolution, all but one of the alders present voted to “read and file” the item — indicating that they have received the proposal and are deciding not to act on it.
The vote, taken at the end of the full Board of Alders meeting in the Aldermanic Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, marked the conclusion of a monthslong campaign for the proposed ceasefire resolution, which local activists had submitted in November.
Alders had delayed holding a public hearing on the item until May 1. That evening, they held a five-hour meeting online and heard emotional testimony from well over a hundred people. In general, supporters of the resolution conveyed a moral imperative to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, while opponents criticized the resolution’s omission of any mention of Hamas.
The board took the item up for a vote on Monday.
Over 200 people protested outside City Hall prior to the meeting, simultaneously calling on alders to pass the resolution, decrying the arrests of Yale protesters, and criticizing the Yale Police Department (YPD) in particular. Speaker after speaker called on Yale to divest from companies supporting Israel and to invest instead in New Haven.
“YPD, KKK, IDF, they’re all the same! … Abolish YPD!” they chanted. “Occupation is a crime from New Haven to Palestine!”
Soon, an audience of about 150 people filed into the Aldermanic Chamber. A dozen police officers waited inside.
Many in the audience carried Palestinian flags, wore keffiyehs, and carried signs such as “Resistance is justified when the people are occupied” and “All eyes on Rafah.”
That day, halfway across the world, Israel issued evacuation warnings to over 100,000 people in Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians have sought refuge from Israeli attacks in the north, signaling the country’s planned escalation of violence.
Also that day, many Jewish communities observed Yom HaShoah, a Holocaust remembrance day, with an added focus on October 7 and the hostages still held captive by Hamas.
After all of the night’s other voting items, Westville/Beaver Hills Alder Richard Furlow made a motion to “read and file” the resolution.
Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison, who had stewarded last week’s public hearing as chair of the board’s Committee of the Whole, offered remarks in support of this motion.
Wednesday’s hearing, said Morrison, was “a great example of how our community can come together and have a thoughtful dialogue.”
“We accommodated their request,” Morrison said. “Just to be clear, we are taking no action.”
No other alders spoke before the vote.
In unison, a majority of alders called out “aye” in support of the read and file motion.
East Rock Alder Caroline Smith was the sole alder to vote against the motion. Alders Ellen Cupo, who is on medical leave, and Evette Hamilton were not present for the vote.
“Shame!” the protesters chanted. “There is only one solution, intifada revolution! The people united will never be defeated!”
“I voted no to read and file because over the last few months, I have sat down with many Ward 9 neighbors and they have been so consistent for the desire for peace,” said Smith in an interview after the hearing.
“It’s important to me that we use a tool we have as a body to send a clear message to our federal government that the heartrending violence must end,” she said. “It’s important to me to state that we have no tolerance for antisemitism or Islamophobia in our city. And it’s important to me that concerned residents feel heard.”
As she spoke, Police Chief Karl Jacobson approached. “Which way are you going?” he asked. “We gotta get all the alders out of here.”
“Thank you, I’m good, I’m good!” Smith said.
She left a minute later as protesters continued to chant: “No justice, no peace!”
At around 7:50, the protesters filed out of the room. A smaller rally of about 50 people regrouped outside City Hall. They vowed to show up in court this week to support protesters arrested at Yale.
Before dispersing to go home, they chanted at police: “Quit your job!”
Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison advocates for colleagues to "read and file" the resolution.
Lone "nay" voter Caroline Smith.
The local politicians can barely handle our local issues never mind something on a national level. Take your energy and help all the refugees living in our city.