Chicago Is Now The Largest U.S. City To Pass A Ceasefire Resolution

Chicago just became the biggest city in the U.S. to pass a ceasefire resolution, in a major political statement.

by Monica Eng, Axios

After weeks of delays and debates, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson cast the tie-breaking vote for a deadlocked City Council on Wednesday to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Why it matters: Chicago is now the largest U.S. municipality to urge President Biden to support a ceasefire, putting the Democratic National Convention’s host city at odds with the administration’s stance on the conflict and signaling growing discontent in the country.

St Louis rally for ceasefire and BDS for GAZA

Between the lines: The resolution, which also called for the unconditional release of all hostages and the allowance of humanitarian aid into Gaza, has stoked deep division within the City Council.

Some have questioned the time spent on a largely symbolic measure, while others have emphasized how the violence in the region affects many in the Chicago area, home to the largest Palestinian American and third-largest Jewish populations in the nation.

What they’re saying: “We as elected officials have the power to save lives by uplifting a demand that is now shared by many and to be on the right side of history, ” Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd), the resolution’s sponsor, said in the emotional meeting.