Press release: City of Glenwood Springs calls for a ceasefire in Gaza; Citizen-led effort is first in Colorado

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Here's the official press release our group released this morning.

For Immediate Release, February 17, 2024

Contact: Will Hodges, (720) 365-1721
Maya Hunt, (541) 337-7773

City of Glenwood Springs calls for a ceasefire in Gaza; Citizen-led effort is first in Colorado

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. -- On Thursday night, by a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Glenwood Springs City Council became the first municipality in Colorado to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the four-month war in Gaza. 

The council added the resolution to the agenda in response to comments by members of Ceasefire Now Roaring Fork Valley during the opening public comment period. 

The language the council adopted last night called for:

“an immediate and permanent cease-fire in Gaza and occupied West Bank, immediate unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, and release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinian civilians in order to work towards a long-term, lasting peace.”

The council noted the rare preponderance of young people presenting the resolution. Six members of Ceasefire Now gave comments. Others held signs reading, “Don’t look away” and “Let Gaza live”. The group’s comments highlighted the nearly 29,000 people in Gaza killed under Israeli bombardment and shelling, including 12,300 children, the 2.3 million people at extreme risk of famine, and the role of American taxpayers in supplying funding, arms and vetoes of UN Security Council resolutions. 

Seth Bontrager of Ceasefire Now told the council, “As Americans, we are complicit in these atrocities. There is a $14 billion aid package going through Congress and I would much prefer this money be invested back into our communities instead of funding death and destruction overseas.”

Maya Hunt argued for a ceasefire resolution to “use our voice to condemn an ongoing, human-created, preventable, humanitarian catastrophe.” She said, “US policy is supporting ongoing violence against civilian populations,” and asked the council to “do better to represent me while my national government fails to.”

Immediately following public comments, Councilman Jonathan Godes began, “I would love to at least have a conversation about this since we have a lot of young people here that took the time out tonight.” He thanked those assembled for their “passion” and said, “I think asking for more peace is better than a continued genocide, which is what we’re seeing.”

Councilmember Shelley Kaup shared that “along with everyone here, I am horrified by all the violence and escalation. I don’t want to pick sides but it’s gone beyond the pale, and it’s very disturbing to see our country supporting this type of violence. My tendency is to want to support this, just to give us as leaders a voice to our leaders at the state and federal level. We’re just one small voice but I’d like to represent what I think a lot of our community is feeling.” 

While the council wasn’t prepared to pass the entire resolution as written, all seven felt strongly about adopting the first paragraph and its call for a ceasefire, “unhindered aid” and “work toward a long-term and lasting peace.” 

On Tuesday, Ceasefire Now RFV also presented the resolution to the Aspen City Council, which declined to consider it. Councilman Sam Rose turned his back to the members of Ceasefire Now throughout their time speaking. During his own comments, he called them “antisemites” and “dangerous”, apparently for speaking up for the rights of Palestinians to live. 

After the council passed the resolution, organizer Tucker Knight was gratified. “It is very inspiring to come together with other caring people and achieve this. We are proud of the city council for their leadership. May it propel other cities to pass similar resolutions.”

  • View the video recording of the meeting. Our group's comments start at 14:22 in. Go to 35:45 in, to see where the city council starts discussing our resolution. The resolution unanimously passes at 50:47 in.
  • The full text of the resolution proposed is here. The resolution was authored and provided by the Colorado Palestine Coalition. 
  • A full list of U.S. municipalities which have passed ceasefire resolutions is here. 

The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights maintains a tool showing how municipalities could better spend the $3.8 billion the United States gives to Israel’s occupation and war on the Palestinian Territories.