In a unanimous decision on Monday, the Oakland, California, city council passed a resolution urging for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. This came after hours of heated public testimony, with multiple residents getting up to declare their allegiance with Hamas. Prior to the final vote, the Council faced a divisive moment when it rejected amendments proposed by Councilmember Dan Kalb. These amendments, which condemned the actions of Hamas, including killings and hostage-taking, were met with boos and angry shouts from the audience. The public discussion prior to the vote was marked by insane rhetoric. Some speakers accused Israel of atrocities and expressed support for Hamas. They denied claims of Hamas’ involvement in the October 7 attacks and criticized the label of Hamas as a terrorist organization. One woman at the meeting stated, “There have not been beheadings of babies and rapings.” She claimed that Israel was responsible for the deaths on October 7. Another attendee voiced support for the Palestinian right to “resist” occupation, including through Hamas. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)