Surrey city council chambers was cleared Monday night following a disruption by angry protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
sa国际传媒淚 was shocked, to be honest, that they were so angry,sa国际传媒� Locke said in the aftermath. sa国际传媒淪ome of the stuff they were yelling at us, calling us murdererssa国际传媒�
sa国际传媒淭hey wanted the call for a ceasefire,sa国际传媒� Locke said, sa国际传媒渁nd I called for peace, because peace to me is much larger than a ceasefire. I was personally taken aback that they got so cross.sa国际传媒�
At the outset of the meeting, Locke said the City of Surrey condemns all acts of racism, including anti-semitism, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia. sa国际传媒淭he City of Surrey recognizes the humanitarian crisis unfolding around the world, including in Israel and in Gaza, and call for peace in order to protect all human lives, especially those of children,sa国际传媒� she told the chamber.
The outburst happened after she made her statement.
sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 understand what they didnsa国际传媒檛 like,sa国际传媒� Locke told the Now-Leader. Clearing the council chambers, she said, sa国际传媒渨as truly something I never thought I was going to have to do. You know, we have the business of the city to run, this is the peoplesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒� all peoplesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒� place to be and it made it uncomfortable for a lot of people. A lot of people that were there for business left because it was upsetting to them.sa国际传媒�
Only people speaking to items on the public hearing agenda were allowed in chambers, after council returned from a brief recess. In the lobby outside chambers, a woman shouting about genocide yelled, sa国际传媒淐hildren, every ten minutes a child dies. You live with that, you live with that mayor, you live with that.sa国际传媒�
One man addressed council during the public hearing.
sa国际传媒淚t wasnsa国际传媒檛 until I stood up for Palestine where I have been threatened at my workplace, where individuals from around the world have been emailing the Surrey Teachers Association asking me to get fired,sa国际传媒� he told council. sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 not here on behalf of myself, I am here on behalf of the many teachers that I have been talking to who feel constricted in their workplaces.
sa国际传媒淎s an individual who has been fighting for human rights, I only ask for simple words, simple words such as a ceasefire that I know most of you believe in,sa国际传媒� he said.
Later in the meeting, Councillors Harry Bains and Linda Annis lauded Lockesa国际传媒檚 comments.
sa国际传媒淚 want to begin by thanking you for your statement earlier where you condemned all acts of racism in our community,sa国际传媒� Bains. sa国际传媒淚 heard the individuals who spoke here today and I understand their emotions. Children are dying, and I cansa国际传媒檛 imagine a world where that would be okay. I recognize the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and the West Bank and I call for an immediate cease fire by all sides in order to protect all human life, including all of those children.sa国际传媒�
Annis echoed that. sa国际传媒淚 just wanted to thank you for your opening comments this evening around the horrific war that is taking place in the Middle East, and also to thank Councillor Bains as well, it was very difficult, and I think we all agree that a ceasefire is needed both for Israel and the folks living in the Gaza, itsa国际传媒檚 horrific whatsa国际传媒檚 happening there and I just want to thank both of you for speaking up.sa国际传媒�
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