After 3 hours of public comment, Fort Collins City Council won't take up Gaza resolution
After more than three hours of public comment from around 160 people at Tuesday night's Fort Collins City Council meeting, its six present members opted against pursuing a resolution that calls for a cease-fire in Gaza.
A crowd approaching 200 people showed up to the meeting Tuesday night to either ask for or oppose calls for such a resolution.
It was the second regular council meeting in a row where the topic dominated public comment.
Groups like the NoCo Liberation Coalition have called for council to pass a cease-fire resolution. At the Feb. 6 meeting, the vast majority of more than 90 commenters were in support.
At Tuesday night's meeting, though, there was a notable contingent of people speaking in opposition to it. But by the end of public comment, twice as many speakers spoke in support of it.
Nearly 170 people signed up for public comment Tuesday night. Each person was granted one minute for their comments.
Some of the speakers wore the black and white keffiyeh to signify their support for Palestine. Others carried Israeli flags and wore Israel and American flags to show their support for Israel.
As speakers made their points at the podium, members of the crowd waved both of their hands above their heads as a silent show of agreement to abide by chamber rules.
On both sides of the resolution, commenters cited fears about violence and genocide against people living in Israel and Gaza. They shared stories and histories of personal and cultural loss.
On both sides of the resolution, people identified themselves as Jews or as Christians.
On both sides, individuals characterized the opposite position as being divisive.
And both supporters and opponents of the resolution said the conflict has spurred discrimination and hate in the U.S. against individuals belonging to both groups.
Some of the commenters showed emotion when they spoke with shaky voices and with conviction. But the crowd remained calm and followed the rules that disallow clapping, cheering and distracting behaviors.
It was the largest crowd for a council meeting in several months. All seats in the main chamber were filled, and the overflow "Council Information Center" area was also full. In the lobby, several rows of chairs were set up in front of a television monitor broadcasting the meeting.
Supporters of the resolution said actions like what they proposed for council will put upward pressure on national and international leaders to end the suffering of Palestinians. They noted more than 29,000 Palestinians have died as a result of the war, many of them children.
Supporters also said they wanted to voice their displeasure with U.S. money and resources going to support Israel's military actions. They said if Fort Collins claims it values human rights, then its City Council should take a stance, noting past councils have taken positions on national or international issues.
Those against council's passing a resolution cited the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and kidnappings, saying Israel is justified in pursuing the terrorists who committed those atrocities. They noted that more than 130 hostages are still being held and said no cease-fire should happen until they are released.
Opponents of the resolution also said council's taking a stand would be divisive when the issues are complicated. They say it isn't council's job to navigate world issues.
After the three hours of public comment, none of the six City Council members who were present acted to take up a cease-fire support resolution when the time came during "other business."
Mayor pro-tem Emily Francis clarified for the 30 or so people who remained in the chamber at the end of the meeting that the board's lack of action means it isn't the will of council to consider a resolution.
Council member Kelly Ohlson was absent from the meeting due to illness.
At council's Feb. 6 meeting, he said Fort Collins has a "long and noble" history of taking stances on national or international significance, such as opposing apartheid and opposing MX missiles in nearby Wyoming. He said then that he hoped council would take a resolution under consideration and that he would likely vote yes.
On Tuesday night, council member Susan Gutowsky addressed the crowd, saying everyone has their truth, but "I don't know who to choose."
She said the U.S. has vetoed a U.N. cease-fire resolution, citing fears it will interfere with ongoing negotiations that could lead to the release of hostages and provide aid. She said sometimes the simplest solution isn't the best solution, and her desire was to support negotiations that could lead to the end of the war.
Council member Melanie Potyondy said she has been silent due to being deeply affected by the comments she heard Tuesday and in the community. She thanked community members for their civility and said she knows there are people in the community who are hurting.
Mayor Jeni Arndt said that during public comment, she observed compassion, commitment to peace, and freedom of expression and religion, both bedrock values of the country and city.
She said she acknowledged that both antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise but it's her desire that the community see each other as neighbors and friends, celebrate what brings us together, embrace our differences, and live in peace and understanding.
Shehab Elhaddad, president of the Islamic Center of Fort Collins, told the Coloradoan he is determined to hold council responsible for its lack of action on the recommendation by the Human Relations Commission, noting some council members said at the Feb. 6 meeting they wanted it to first go through that board.
That panel voted on Feb. 8 to recommend council consider a revised resolution.
Elhaddad said he felt a sense of betrayal and loss of confidence in the process, especially because he felt the resolution adopted non-adversarial language and aimed to "just save human lives."
Further, he said, council should "have the guts" to comment on why they didn't support it.
What the proposed resolution says
The city's Human Relations Commission discussed a draft of a proposed cease-fire resolution at its Feb. 8 meeting.
A memo that board sent to City Council members on Feb. 10 said the commission's discussion considered the public comments made to council on Feb. 6, along with 25 more that were offered at the commission's meeting and about 40 letters that had been written to the city.
As originally proposed, the resolution included clauses seeking:
An immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and occupied West Bank.
Immediate, unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Release of all Israeli hostages and detained Palestinian civilians.
A statement that U.S. funding and military support must never be used in violation of international law or to commit human rights violations.
A statement against ethnic cleansing, the transfer/displacement of Palestinian populations or the annexation of any part of Gaza.
A full right of return for Palestinians.
The commission voted 5-0, with one member abstaining, to recommend council consider an updated version of the resolution. Their memo said an updated resolution could:
Acknowledge the immense human suffering and loss of life on all sides as a result of war.
Not assign blame, and/or use adversarial language.
Condemn violence — without condemnation of any group or community — or taking of sides; promotes peace for all.
Condemn antisemitism, anti-Palestinian rhetoric and Islamophobia in Fort Collins.
State unwavering commitment to all Fort Collins residents to promote peace, unity and respect for all; represent voices and concerns of all.
Acknowledge commitment to stand in solidarity with our Palestinian and Jewish communities, and to reaffirm commitment to their safety, security and well-being.
Call for an immediate ceasefire on all sides of the conflict.
Call for immediate release of hostages on all sides of the conflict.
Call for immediate sharing of humanitarian aid to all who are impacted by the conflict.
Express hope for swift, peaceful resolution of current conflict, leading to a just and lasting peace for all involved.
The memo also said the commission "resolved to work towards bringing together members of the Fort Collins community on different sides of this conflict" and to invite members of the Jewish, Palestinian, Muslim, Christian and other interested communities to "explore ways to continue working towards a peaceful coexistence in our beautiful and inclusive city."
Who is involved in promoting the idea of a cease-fire resolution by City Council?
A group called the NoCo Liberation Coalition has been leading the effort.
Its Instagram account says it is "working towards collective liberation through direct action, education and community care."
The group has held Fort Collins marches and vigils for Palestine, organized a letter-writing campaign to City Council members, held fundraisers for humanitarian aid group Anera and urged supporters to push for a Denver City Council resolution. It has also organized at least one Fort Collins pro-union event.
A news release from the group said 10 or more organizations had signed on in support of the resolution, including the Islamic Center of Fort Collins.
During public comment Tuesday, Elhaddad said Islamic Center of Fort Collins was involved in helping to craft it.
The resolution also has the support of Fort Collins Democratic Socialists of America and the Northern Colorado Alliance for a Livable Future.
In other council action
Council unanimously authorized allocating a $40,000 City Give philanthropic gift to fund a feasibility study and community engagement on a potential pickleball facility in Fort Collins.
Francis had pulled that item for discussion on Feb. 6, saying she had concerns about the way the City Give program might be creating inequity because it provides pathways only for resourced groups to promote their wishes.
But when it came up for its second vote on Tuesday, she said even though she has those concerns, the Fort Collins Pickleball Club, which made the donation, followed the city's process and shouldn't be penalized.
Council also approved unanimously a land swap between the city and Bohemian Foundation on the site of a proposed Fort Collins Rescue Mission at 1311 N. College Ave.
The swap involves a combined 3.7 acres and allows the city to build a stormwater detention pond, a move that would be necessary to allow for development in the area.
The city will gain a little more than an acre in the swap, which will also create more buffer between the shelter and homes to the west.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins City Council rejects taking up cease-fire resolution
