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Residents urge council to condemn recent Gaza bombings, call for divestment; others warn against local cooperation with ICE
Summary
Multiple citizens used the city’s public comment period to urge Cincinnati leaders to condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza and to call for divestment and political action; separately, a speaker warned local officials about cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
Several residents used the city’s citizens forum to press Cincinnati City Council on international and immigration issues.
Eiko Kimura described repeated bombing in Gaza and graphic humanitarian consequences, calling the events “an atrocity” and urging the U.S. and local officials to divest from organizations supporting the violence. “This genocide must stop,” Kimura said, arguing that U.S. funding and political cover were enabling civilian casualties.
Jonathan Nortman recounted recent attacks and appealed for council members to speak out, linking U.S. material support to the carnage. “Every plane that dropped our bombs was also made here, paid for by our tax dollars, endorsed by your silence,” Nortman said. He urged the council to act and criticized elected officials who, he said, remain silent.
A speaker identified only as Sarah relayed on‑the‑ground accounts from doctors in Gaza, describing shortages of anesthesia and supplies and severe burn and blast injuries among women and children. “We’ve run out of ketamine…We can’t sedate anyone,” she said, citing an Australian doctor’s report from a hospital in Gaza.
Separately, Jared Hudson warned council members about federal immigration enforcement policy changes and urged local officials to know their legal obligations and resist “unlawful orders” to cooperate with deportation operations. Hudson said the Trump administration was preparing local arrests tied to immigration enforcement and urged officials to consider constitutional obligations.
Why it matters: While municipal councils do not set foreign policy, residents frequently use public comment to push local elected officials for symbolic or administrative actions (for instance, divestment or public statements). Hudson’s comments reflect ongoing local debates over cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and how cities balance legal obligations with community trust.
Council response and next steps: Council members acknowledged the comments. No formal motions or council votes about Gaza, divestment or ICE cooperation were taken at the meeting; speakers’ requests were made in public comment.
