NEW YORK – UNS: NYC 4 Ceasefire, a multi-faith, multi-racial, and multi-ethnic coalition of NYC residents from across the five boroughs, will launch a 24-hour vigil outside New York City Hall on Wednesday, February 28.
Council Members Shahana Hanif, Alexa Avilés, Chi Osse, Lincoln Restler, and others will gather alongside NYC-based leaders for a press conference and rally at 10:00am, followed by a vigil in which the known names of the 30,000 Palestinians killed during Israel’s ongoing genocide will be read aloud. The vigil will integrate performances, prayers, and more.
Over 75 local organizations, labor unions, district-specific coalitions, faith leaders, and grassroots groups—including Jewish Voice for Peace NYC, U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and New York Communities for Change—have endorsed the 24-hour action for City Council to join the 60+ cities across the U.S. that have called an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Every year, almost $120 million of NYC residents’ federal tax dollars go to the U.S. government’s military funding of Israel. NYC 4 Ceasefire calls on Council Members to prioritize funding for housing, education, and healthcare for New Yorkers and withhold support for military aid to Israel.
Two days, an active duty US military officer and veteran, Aaron Bushnell, self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy in protest of US and Israeli attacks on Gaza. His last social media post stated:
“Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’ The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”
NYC 4 Ceasefire calls on elected officials, community organizations, and community members to take a stand as our government funds and arms genocide with our tax monies.
