Members of the Northfield community are working together to spread awareness of the genocide occurring in Palestine.
Several residents and college students gathered outside the Northfield City Hall on March 12 to call upon the Northfield City Council to pass a ceasefire resolution. The supporters entered the hall carrying pro-Palestine posters and dolls wrapped in white sheets to represent dead children. The meeting room was filled with a majority of Palestine supporters.
These individuals urged the council to support a ceasefire in Gaza. Prior to the meeting, a resolution draft was created for Northfield residents to sign in support of the passing of a ceasefire resolution.
The resolution was sent out via email by Northfielders for Justice in Palestine (NJP) Member Darlene Cox and stated, “We need to show up en masse to show the City Council that this global issue is also a local issue. We teach our children that we are part of a broader community…It is within the jurisdiction of the Northfield City Council to adopt a resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”
However, the Northfield City Council left out “ceasefire resolution” from their agenda, leaving no time for the resolution to be discussed in full.
During the meeting, 13 attendees were each given two minutes to speak. These speakers included a few students from St. Olaf College and Carleton College.
In their allotted time, a Palestinian student from St. Olaf, Faten Abu Al Ardat ’27 said to the city council members present, “Your vote for a ceasefire in this crucial moment will resonate not only [with] our community but will also contribute to the broader pursuit of justice and peace around the world.”
The speakers expressed their frustration and disappointment in the council for not representing Northfielders who do not support genocide.
At the end of the speeches, the council moved on without any further discussions of a ceasefire resolution. No further action was taken by any councilmembers.
After the meeting, Fred Rogers, who spoke during the call for a ceasefire resolution, recognized the disinterest of the council. He then urged those who attended the council meeting to continue to come back and spread awareness.
Currently, NJP and other pro-Palestine groups in Northfield haven’t made any decisions as to whether or not they will attend another city council meeting. However, that does not mean that their advocacy is finished. Advocacy groups such as NJP will continue to fight for and call awareness to Palestine via their social media platforms and other advocacy events.
