(Editor’s note: The following story is printed with permission of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.)
The City of Madera is the first in the San Joaquin Valley to support a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. In a special meeting on Feb. 14, the City Council voted unanimously to call for a stop to the violence in the Middle East. Mayor Santos Garcia spoke about how the Palestinian struggle resonates with the diverse population in the city.
Pro-Palestine advocates say they will continue pushing for more cities and local governments to sign similar resolutions.
The decision by the Madera City Council comes a few months after a proposed Gaza ceasefire resolution failed in nearby Merced. In December, only two of Merced’s seven City Council members voted to support the resolution.
There have also been protests by students at UC Merced and Stanislaus State asking university leaders to take similar actions.
The cities of San Francisco and Richmond have passed similar resolutions.
