Public Comment

Gaza and Palestine are living in CONCENTRATION CAMPS, ran by the Zionist regime called Israel, that is blindly draining the whole Free world, and developed countries financial economics and resources. It's shameful that these well developed countries blindfolded by a whole bunch of lies about being antiemetic if you don't support the war crimes being committed against women and children in Gaza and Palestine.

I am ashamed to see that the Cleveland City Council Members have ignored the cries of their own constituents who have been requesting a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza for around a month now. They continue to ignore and remain silent on this issue. Why is that? Do they not agree with trying to prevent the loss of thousands of innocent lives? Do they not think the people in Gaza deserve a chance to live? Do they support the mass bombings that Israel continues to drop on civilians? What ever the reason is, I am disgusted by the lack of action. Cities like Akron and Detriot have already passed resolution asking our country to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. If these cities can stand up for what is right, then so can/should Cleveland. Silence makes you complicit with the genocide of a people who deserve to live.

Hello, I work as a tenant-landlord mediation advocate for a local nonprofit. Over the past several months, we have seen a significant increase in the number of residents facing eviction. Rental assistance resources are dried up; the shelters are all full; landlords have a stranglehold on the housing court system; people have nobody to turn to for assistance. The landlord- and developer-driven housing agenda has left Clevelanders, literally, out in the cold. Rents go up while wages stay stagnant. Housing voucher programs are inadequate, and the process for obtaining Section 8 housing takes so long that many people are thrown onto the street before they even have a chance to find a home. We need more public programs. We need to stop the privatization of public social services. The City of Cleveland has a responsibility to each and every citizen to ensure their basic human needs are met and their human rights upheld. There is absolutely no excuse for people to be sleeping on the street. We are witnessing a humanitarian crisis in our city, and as winter approaches, the horror and suffering will only increase. The City of Cleveland must introduce emergency programs for housing every citizen and must stop landlords, many of whom do not even reside in this city, from evicting tenants. We need more public housing, and in the meantime, a moratorium on evictions is crucial. Thank you. Adam Barrington

I do not come here to read about Palestine and Israel. City Council members are literal no bodies in and out of Cleveland. Why are we expecting them to do something? Do you people know how the actual Government works?

I truly do not have the words to describe what is happening in Palestine. More than 11,200 people have been killed, nothing can justify this. Please stop supporting Israel.

I’ve been feeling heartbroken by the city I came to love. Please call for a ceasefire to prevent this horrifying death toll in escalating throughout the region.

I don't use internet that often. However, out of town protestors are distracting City Hall. I'm going to briefly restate my Public Comment from Oct. 16. My goal is to become a household name with all members of City Council. Eight years ago, Galleria Security told me that I was banned for life from entering the Galleria/Erieview Tower/YMCA complex. Galleria Security wrongly accused me of masturbating in the restrooms-something I did not do. I am a victim of rumors and corporate conspiracy. I am writing monthly letters to James Kassouf, who owns the Erieview Tower. 'Revitalizing the Erieview Tower' is currently going through City Council, so it's important for council members to know about the controversial procedures at the Erieview Tower, owned by James Kassouf. Once again, I am wrongly banned at the Galleria/Erieview Tower/YMCA complex. I previously spoke on Oct. 16 about this. I am a 49 year old man.

City council and the mayor's office has a duty to respond to the voices of its citizens calling daily for an end to the genocide in Gaza. We refuse to let you use public dollars to fuel mass murder in our names. I ask city council and the mayor's office to publicly condemn the genocidal actions of the Israeli state, to call for an immediate ceasefire, and to refuse to fund Israel's "war." The loss of human life---10,000 human lives lost and growing---is not a partisan issue. If you cannot make a firm stand against blatant moral wrongs for fear of political unpopularity, if you actively oppose a ceasefire in Gaza knowing you are enshrining the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians not dissimilar to your own constituents, you have no business holding public office, and I call on you to step down.

Stop funding the genocide in Gaza. Max Miller needs to be held responsible for his comment on “turning Gaza into a parking lot.” Citizens of Cleveland DO NOT stand with Israel…do your job…and REPRESENT us. Would it be okay to bomb a school if a school shooter was hiding there? No. Do better “representatives”. Our tax dollars should be used to aid homeless people, student loans, and healthcare. Instead, America sends our money to Israel so they can continue to commit war crimes. It’s sickening to see our so-called “representatives” support a genocide in 2023.

I continue to be appalled at how quickly the mayor and council president threw out their support for israel following the events of october 7th but have NOTHING to say about the now over ten thousand dead palestinian civilians who are casualties of the aggression statements like theirs spurred on. you cannot speak for the people of cleveland in such matter when the people of cleveland are organizing for a ceasefire and you cannot claim to value democracy when you ignore them at every turn. End the siege on gaza now and free palestine.