Ceasefire resolution: Hundreds expected to speak at city council meeting amid Raleigh leaders' indecision

As of Monday night, 217 people had signed up to speak, nearly all on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Pro-Palestinian protesters are asking the Raleigh city council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. funding for the Israeli military. But pro-Israeli protesters say there can be no ceasefire until Hamas releases all the Israeli hostages taken during the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.

So far, the city council hasn't taken any action, and Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin tells WRAL News that's not likely to change this week.

"Every single second you are not calling for a ceasefire and an immediate end to funding Israel is every second that I might lose my mother, my father, my siblings, and my house," Gaza native Fatima Shaat told the council in November.

Baldwin said the public comment sessions have left her and other council members literally shaken.

“It was gut-wrenching,” Baldwin said. “What we heard, and what we experienced was just, it's heartbreaking, but it's heartbreaking on all sides. And that’s where people aren’t – they’re not listening to each other. They’re listening to their side.”

"We want to have a community where everybody supports everybody else and cares about each other," Baldwin added. "And that's what's been so hurtful for me."

Baldwin said the city council has discussed a resolution several times, but there’s still no consensus on whether to pass one or what it should say. Either way, she doesn’t believe it would have any effect on what the federal government decides to do.

“I've heard from members of our Jewish community who do not feel safe,” Baldwin said. “They feel left out, they feel like their voices aren't heard. And what I'm really concerned about is that this is kind of tearing apart our community.”

Baldwin said the city council will continue to listen, even though they're not ready to move forward with a decision.

"If we take action, there's a community price. If we don't take action, there's a community price," Baldwin said. "What we've been debating is how does this impact our community? And how do we send a message that we want everybody to be heard?

“But we also want everybody to be loved and respected, and that's difficult.”

Baldwin said the council, at its upcoming retreat, will discuss potential changes to the city's public comment policy, which she says is among the most liberal for North Carolina's local governments.

Many of those signed up to speak Tuesday are the same people who've spoken many times since the Oct. 7 attack, while others are new speakers who may have to wait many hours for the chance to voice their opinions.

"Other communities limit the number of times you can come speak on a particular topic. In Charlotte, for instance, you can only come once, you can't come the next month and talk about the same topic," Baldwin told WRAL News. "Our city attorney is looking carefully at what other communities are doing, and I'm sure we'll have a robust conversation about how we can make improvements."

Tuesday's public comment meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Raleigh City Hall.