ANTIOCH – The Antioch City Council’s meeting to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza was canceled Tuesday evening after a majority of the council failed to show up.
The public was not able to hear a scheduled discussion on the council’s potential stance on the Israel-Hamas war because councilmembers Mike Barbanica, Lori Ogorchock and Monica Wilson did not attend the meeting.
The reasons for their absence were not publicly provided.
When it became clear the hearing could not move forward, Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker stood outside the City Hall doors, visibly upset. About 25 residents showed up to the meeting Torres-Walker first called for in January.
“I think that we should all be on the right side of history at this moment,” Torres-Walker told a group of residents waiting outside. “And we should all be grieved by what we have seen and what we have witnessed.”
Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, the only other elected leader in attendance, remained behind the council dais.
While the lack of a quorum extinguished Antioch’s discussion on a ceasefire resolution, the matter has been taken up by other Bay Area cities. Richmond became the first municipality in the U.S. to approve a resolution supporting a ceasefire in October, and was followed by Oakland and San Francisco, while Hayward recently voted to divest the city’s stock in four companies with ties to Israel. Gilroy’s council voted against a resolution and Albany has created a council committee to explore taking a stance.
On Tuesday evening, Torres-Walker urged the crowd to show up to council meetings no matter which side they are on.
“I think it makes sense that we’re clear on where people stand on this issue so that we can be clear on where we stand in November,” she said, referring to the fall election.
Inside the council chambers, community members asked the mayor to reschedule the meeting.
“We have a host of issues around homelessness, policing and other public safety matters,” Hernandez-Thorpe said. “If there are council members that want to once again request a special meeting, I’m happy to entertain that, but I have to have a majority of the council to request that because this also takes the time of staff.”
The mayor added that any council member can call a special meeting.
“I oversee the meeting, so I’m here, but I haven’t decided if I’m going to support a ceasefire resolution, because I want to see what the recommendations are,” he said.
Some residents were ready to have the conversation on the war in the Middle East, where according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel started its counter-attack after Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took hostages in Israel on Oct. 7.
Community member Michael Kean said if there is a resolution, it should “immediately and unconditionally free the women, the children, the rape victims and the hostages held by Hamas; arrest all the perpetrators responsible for the massacre; and do not allow Hamas to participate in any post-rescue government operations,” he said.
But Dr. Omair Alam, a local physician, said what happened on Oct. 7 does not justify civilian deaths, including the deaths of children.
“There are over 700 healthcare workers that have been killed,” he said. “That’s about four healthcare workers a day. I cannot imagine losing one of my colleagues in the hospital, let alone four a day.
“We care about Black and brown lives over there,” Alam said. “We care about Black and brown lives over here. And it makes a difference to know that our leadership also cares.”
Hernandez-Thorpe replied, “I hear you, and everything you see, I see,” calling what’s happening in Gaza “disastrous.”
Frank Sterling of Contra Costa 4 Palestine urged quick action from the full council.
“I think what I’m feeling from the room is a very urgent moment in time,” he said. “And we know we got these issues, but I feel like this moment calls for bold leadership.”