At this moment, over 50 residents of California Congressional District 14 (CA-14) are rallying outside of Congressman Eric Swalwell’s Hayward office, calling on the representative to take the following three actions:
- Endorse an immediate ceasefire by co-sponsoring House Resolution 786, the Ceasefire Now Resolution.
- Vote against any new weapons or military funding to Israel.
- Support humanitarian aid entry to Gaza.
Seema Badar, President of the Muslim Democrats and Friends of Alameda County gave the following statement: “Right now, our Muslim community is losing relatives and friends—children, elders, parents, and beloved brothers, sons and fathers—every day in Gaza. We are heartbroken. We are grieving. Israel has killed over 10,022 people, including over 4,000 children and 2,000 women. For too long, the media and our elected representatives have failed to report the scale of these deaths. And by choosing to continue supporting war aid for Israel, Congressman Swalwell is complicit.”
Naomi, a resident of CA District 14, shared the following statement: “As a Jew and an American citizen, I cannot stand idly by as this campaign of terror is carried out with my tax-dollars and in my name. The U.S is directly complicit in the violent massacre being carried out by Israel on the Palestinian people. I urge Representative Swalwell to sign on to Representative Bush’s ‘Ceasefire Now’ resolution. If he does not move, voters will move him into the dustbin of history along with all supporters of apartheid, current and past.”
Riyad Sood, CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Paralegal, and a Palestinian and CA-14 resident stated: “Congressman Swalwell has an opportunity to stand on the right side of history by supporting these actions that prioritize peace and humanitarian concerns. The current tragedy in Gaza—reflective of the decades-long conflict — has inflicted immense suffering on the Palestinian people, with countless innocent lives lost. Advocating for a ceasefire is not only an ethical imperative but also mirrors the growing sentiment for peace in the broader American public and international community. By endorsing the Ceasefire Now Resolution and ending military aid to Israel, Congressman Swalwell can join the widespread call for human rights, justice, and dignity for the Palestinian people and put an immediate end to the suffering.”
The Hayward protest is one of hundreds taking place across the country this week, following an unprecedented mass march in Washington, D.C., that turned out 300,000 Americans for a ceasefire and an end to Israeli occupation of Palestine.