The St. Paul City Council is poised to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, after refusing for weeks to take up the issue as a group.
The symbolic measure — which has support from at least five of the seven council members — comes after a month of pressure from pro-Palestine protesters and one day after nearly 19% of voters in the state's Democratic presidential primary checked "uncommitted." That movement was meant to signal to President Joe Biden that large factions of his own party want him to establish a permanent cease-fire.
The proposed language of the resolution, authored by Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, urges the Biden administration to discontinue "unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel without clear guarantees for civilian safety." The measure is sponsored by Council Members HwaJeong Kim, Anika Bowie and Nelsie Yang and Council President Mitra Jalali.
If passed, the resolution would be forwarded to Biden, as well as U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Protesters plan to fill St. Paul's council chambers Wednesday for the fifth week in a row.
At previous meetings, Jalali told those gathered that the council did not plan to discuss a joint resolution, saying St. Paul council members preferred to respond individually to what they're hearing from constituents.
Though the St. Paul council has opportunities for members of the public to testify on specific pieces of legislation, there is no open comment period for people to speak on other topics. Frustrated by this, protesters on Feb. 21 temporarily shut down a council meeting with chants calling for a cease-fire.
During last week's meeting, Yang made a last-minute attempt to bring forward a cease-fire resolution, but Jalali abruptly adjourned the council before she could speak.
"What you saw here was so undemocratic, and especially from St. Paul's most progressive City Council," Yang said to protesters after the meeting.
While Yang has been the only council member urging her peers to pass a resolution, many of her peers have expressed support for a cease-fire outside City Hall. Jalali especially has been a vocal advocate for the "vote uncommitted" campaign, penning a letter in Sahan Journal laying out her reasoning.
The council meeting was scheduled to begin at 3:30.
