As the pro-Palestine justice movement grows, more Victorian councils have condemned Israel鈥檚 genocide of Gaza and joined the global call for a ceasefire.
Yarra, Darebin, Hume and Wyndham councils all passed pro-Palestine motions over December last year 鈥 a response to community pressure.
This follows the pro-Palestine motions passing at the Merri-bek, Maribyrnong and Dandenong Councils.
Darebin鈥檚 motion included a call for council to raise the Palestinian flag over Preston Town Hall and to investigate how to cut ties with .
A motion calling for ceasefire put by to the Greater Shepparton City Council was narrowly voted down (4 to 5).
Monash City Council on December 19 debated a motion that 鈥渁cknowledges the immense pain and suffering ... among the members of the Palestinian diaspora鈥. The motion was voted down 2 to 6.
Pressure from the community has been the driving force behind these motions: the large mobilisations each week in the city and communities mobilising outside the council directly have both been critical.
Some protests outside councils have drawn hundreds of people, such as outside the Broadmeadows Town Hall on December 18.
Merri-Bek councillor Sue Bolton told 91自拍论坛 that self-organisation in the Muslim and Arabic communities is 鈥減utting pressure on local councils鈥 and is 鈥渋nspiring others to pressure their council to pass similar motions鈥.
Long-time Palestine solidarity activist Mohammad Helmy told GL that such motions are 鈥渧ery significant鈥 for the Muslim and Arabic communities.
鈥淚t means a lot that the pain and suffering of the local community is being recognised鈥 by local government. He said Muslim and Arabic communities are feeling immense grief from watching the war on social media.
Helmy said the Palestine solidarity movements face 鈥渁 lot of resistance鈥 from councillors鈥 initial reluctance to support a ceasefire motion. He said where ceasefire motions have passed can be put down to the efforts of 鈥渃ommunity campaigners鈥.