Over 150 people demonstrated prior to attending a board meeting, providing testimony
A broad coalition of local residents and organizations gathered at the Multnomah County board meeting Feb. 1, asking the county board to pass a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Passing drivers honked their car horns in support as Jewish Voice for Peace PDX, Oregon to Palestine Coalition, East County Rising and others joined at least two dozen local organizations to provide testimony calling on county commissioners to pass the resolution early Thursday morning. More than 150 people gathered outside the Multnomah County building, holding signs and chanting in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. In the meeting room, organizers joined in song as commissioners arrived for the meeting.
Asma Taha provided testimony saying she coordinated specialized medical care for children in Gaza for 15 years. She said her personal connection to the crisis stems from her family’s displacement from Gaza in 1948, and that she was supposed to be in Gaza when Israel bombed al-Rantisi hospital in November. She said many of her colleagues have lost their lives as Israel has repeatedly bombed hospitals in Gaza.
“The collapse of the healthcare infrastructure coupled with the pervasive violence from the Israeli military, mass displacement, and widespread starvation and disease are inhumane and unacceptable,” she said.
Pressure is mounting for leaders to use their voice as the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, put Israel on notice, ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza Jan. 26. After South Africa filed a request for provisional measures seeking to ensure Israel’s compliance with the Genocide Convention Dec. 29, 2023, the international court heard public testimony in a two-day hearing beginning Jan. 11.
“In light of the nature of the rights in issue, as well as the ongoing, extreme and irreparable harm being suffered by Palestinians in Gaza, South Africa requests that the Court address this request as a matter of extreme urgency,” the initial request said.
Local organizers also asked the board to offer trauma support for Multnomah County employees directly affected by the devastation in Gaza, and to reaffirm its commitment to combating anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian, and antisemitic speech in the community.
An increasing number of cities and counties across the U.S. have voted in favor of a ceasefire resolution, including Seattle, San Francisco, Wayne County, MI and roughly 70 other jurisdictions. The city of Chicago, home to 2.7 million people, passed a resolution just one day before organizations called on Multnomah County to do the same.
Elected officials and political organizations in Oregon have joined calls for a ceasefire as Israel’s campaign continues. Multnomah County Democrats adopted a resolution calling for peace and a ceasefire on Jan. 12. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley is one of just five U.S. senators to call for a ceasefire on the national stage, and the only federal legislator from Oregon to do so. Organizers called on Rep. Earl Blumenaur at his Portland office and his home in December 2023, to no avail.
As public testimony ended, Jessica Vega Pederson, Multnomah County chair, offered a moment for commissioners to respond to the room. Commissioners Sharon Meieran, Jesse Beason, and Julia Brim-Edwards offered short statements of gratitude but said they would save full statements for the end of the meeting.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann, who has previously signed on to calls for a ceasefire, also said she was grateful to those who provided testimony.
“It was truly heartbreaking – heartbreaking and horrendous,” Stegmann said. “But we needed to hear it and I'm grateful that each one of you had the courage to share your stories with us publicly and all of the written testimonies.”
A draft resolution presented to the Multnomah County board noted more than 24,000 people in Gaza have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli government estimates.
Stegmann told colleagues she believes a call for a ceasefire is about preserving the sanctity of life, not just about diplomatic negotiations.
“Chair and fellow board members, I urge you to join me in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza,” she said.
Since then, Israel has razed towns and destroyed hospitals, ambulances and other infrastructure in Gaza. Many in Gaza are suffering from starvation due to a lack of humanitarian aid – an intentional campaign by Israel and a war crime, according to Human Rights Watch. The organization also said Israeli officials’ public statements point to its aim to deprive citizens of basic necessities.
The board is expected to vote on a resolution in the coming weeks.
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