Residents and faith leaders demand action after council member posts swastika image; council debates resignation and accountability

Hundreds of community members and more than two dozen speakers addressed the Champaign City Council on Feb. 4, 2025, raising sustained concerns about recent remarks and a social‑media profile image posted by Council member Davion Williams that many attendees and faith leaders described as antisemitic. Public comments included calls for Williams’ resignation, requests for meaningful engagement with Jewish and other impacted communities, and repeated appeals for the council to adopt a ceasefire resolution and socially responsible investing policies.

Rabbi Alan Cook of Sinai Temple opened public comment by saying he did not consider the council member’s written statement to be an apology and asked whether Williams was "the one who believes he did nothing wrong or the one who is truly contrite." Maayan Weinberg, executive director of the Champaign‑Urbana Jewish Federation, told the council that she and other Jewish leaders had repeatedly sought meetings with Williams and that those outreach efforts were not returned; she said she had “0 trust in council…