* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:03:27] TESTING FOR ZOOM ONE, TWO. TESTING FOR ZOOM ONE, TWO. CAN YOU HEAR ME IN THE ZOOM LAND? ONE, TWO. TEST, TEST, TEST. HI KATE. CAN YOU PLEASE CONFIRM IF YOU CAN HEAR IN THE ZOOM ME MEETING? TESTING ONE, TWO. CAN YOU HEAR ME IN ZOOM? 1, 2, 1, 2, 1 2. [00:05:03] TESTING FOR ZOOM. ONE, TWO. I SEE LEVELS FROM ME, SO I THINK IT'S GOING THROUGH. JUST WANNA GIVE ANOTHER UPDATE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. UH, WE HAVE, UH, ENOUGH COMMISSIONERS TO PROCEED FOR, BUT WE DO HAVE A CHECK-IN TO TAKE CARE OF WITH ZOOM. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONNECTED 'CAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER AVENUE FOR PARTICIPATION. SO AS SOON AS I GET THE THUMBS UP, WE CAN PROCEED. THUMBS UP. ALL RIGHT. HAPPENING IN REAL TIME. SO AGAIN, WELCOME [CALL TO ORDER] EVERYONE. I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CALL THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION MEETING, UH, TO ORDER FOR TODAY. UH, DECEMBER 8TH, 2023. I'M GONNA ASK MADAM CLERK TO PLEASE [ROLL CALL] CALL FOR, UH, THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMISSIONER ALLEN. COMMISSIONER BATS HERE. COMMISSIONER BUTLER. COMMISSIONER CAMACHO. COMMISSIONER GILLETTE. HERE. COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER COLE HERE. COMMISSIONER LIZETTE FLORES. COMMISSIONER MONTGOMERY HERE. COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ. PRESENT. VICE CHAIR COVINGTON HERE. CHAIR LARA HERE. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU MADAM CLERK. UH, WE ARE HERE TODAY, [CHAIR REMARKS] UH, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCEDURE. UM, AND BEFORE DOING SO, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THAT TONIGHT IS THE SECOND NIGHT OF HANUKKAH AND HAPPY HANUKKAH TO EVERYONE WHO CELEBRATES. I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT TONIGHT IS SHABBAT. UM, AND AFTER HAVING A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON WEDNESDAY, UM, INCLUDING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ZOOM AND IN PERSON AND EMAILS, AND, UH, WE HAVE HAD A REALLY, REALLY NUMBER OF, OF, OF COMMENTS THAT REALLY HELP US DRIVE THIS INFORMED DECISION TO LAND ON. UH, A CLEAR RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT IS REALLY ABOUT MOVING THAT RECOMMENDATION OFFICIALLY FORWARD. SO IT IS PROCEDURAL, BUT I WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CONTEXT FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE NEW FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE OR ON ZOOM WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN HERE ON WEDNESDAY, AND TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL THAT, UH, I WANNA BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THE PURPOSE OF TODAY. SO HAVING SAID THAT, I WILL NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH ASKING THE MADAM CLERK, UH, TO MOVE US FORWARD WITH THE AGENDA AS IS THE PROCESS SO THAT WE COULD ARRIVE AT OUR AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS REALLY THAT ONE ITEM, A PROCEDURAL PROCESS TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OFFICIAL. SO, MADAM CLERK, ITEM [1. 23-51557 Recommendation to submit a memorandum to the Mayor and City Council regarding the Israel-Palestine War, including the elements discussed and approved by the Equity and Human Relations Commission at the meeting on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] NUMBER ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO SUBMIT A MEMORANDUM TO THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE ISRAEL PALESTINE WAR, INCLUDING THE ELEMENTS DISCUSSED AND APPROVED BY THE EQUITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AT THE MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, 2023. MADAM CLERK, DO YOU MIND SHARING WITH ME HOW MANY FOLKS ARE ON ZOOM AWAITING PUBLIC COMMENT? WE HAVE TWO ATTENDEES IN THE ZOOM CURRENTLY. OKAY. AND, UH, JUST BY SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE WILL BE MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. ALRIGHT, WE CAN PROCEED FORWARD WITH THE THREE MINUTES, WHICH IS STANDARD FOR MOST MEETINGS. SO THREE MINUTES PLEASE. CAN WE FIRST GET A, A SECOND WE HAVE THE ITEM MOVED BY VICE CHAIR COVINGTON, AND NOW WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ. JUST WANTED TO KEEP THAT. OF COURSE. I APPRECIATE THAT. SO, UH, VICE CHAIR COVINGTON MOVED THIS AGENDA ITEM FORWARD AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ. SO NOW WE CAN PROCEED. OKAY. SO IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM ONE, PLEASE, UH, LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME. AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW, OR DIAL STAR NINE. IF CALLING IN, WE CAN START WITH THE IN PERSON. I DON'T SEE ANY IN THE ZOOM AT THIS TIME. OKAY. PLEASE APPROACH THE PO PODIUM AND WELCOME. HI, UM, I'M ALESSANDRA FRE. I'M A, UH, RESIDENT OF, UH, DISTRICT ONE. UM, I, I'LL THIS, I DON'T, I HAVE A QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE, I CAN ASK QUESTIONS, , BUT FIRST I WANNA SAY THAT I, I CALLED MY, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER [00:10:01] TODAY, AND WHEN I FIRST CALLED, UH, TO, TO, UH, MOVE THIS, UH, MOVEMENT FORWARD, THIS, UH, PARTICULAR RECOMMENDATION, THE PERSON THAT I CALLED, UH, WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE SAID THAT CALLING WAS NOT THE CORRECT PROCESS. AND THEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO EMAIL THE CITY CLERK. I WAS THEN TOLD AFTERWARDS THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE AND THAT I, IT WAS CORRECT FOR ME TO CALL, UM, NOT BY ANYONE WITH THE CITY, BUT BY SOMEONE WHO WAS LESS GULLABLE THAN I WAS, OR I GUESS PERHAPS LESS TRUSTWORTHY OR TRUSTING, I GUESS. UM, THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE WAS MISINFORMED OR THEY ACTIVELY LIED TO ME, BUT I'M TRYING TO TELL PEOPLE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS TRUSTWORTHY AND THAT WAS NOT PARTICULARLY REINFORCING TO, UH, MY OWN FORTITUDE WHEN IT COMES TO BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE PROCESS. UM, MY QUESTION, UH, IS ESSENTIALLY, IS THIS A SECOND RECOMMENDATION OR IS IT A SECOND? UM, MY CONCERN ESSENTIALLY IS IF YOU ADD MORE TO THE, THE THING THAT'S PRESENTLY ON BALLOT THAT'S BEEN THERE FOR A MONTH, THAT SOMEHOW THEY'LL USE THAT TO, UM, PUT OFF THE DECISION. UM, I MEAN, I GUESS NO ONE KNOWS ANYBODY'S MOTIVATIONS, BUT, UM, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. I'M JUST FRUSTRATED. I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO SPEAK PARTICULARLY ELOQUENTLY ON, UM, ESPECIALLY WHAT HAPPENED TODAY. UM, MY, MY MOM WAS IN GOVERNMENT, MY MOM WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, OF WHERE I GREW UP. AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS SORT OF RAISED TO BELIEVE IN THE GOVERNMENTAL PROCESS, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS LIKE ONE LITTLE HURDLE THAT SOMEONE TOLD ME THE WRONG THING, BUT IT'S NOT PARTICULARLY HELPFUL AGAIN FOR MY BELIEF IN, UM, THE FEL PROCESS IN THE PEOPLE'S VOICE, IN PEOPLE ACTUALLY LISTENING TO, UM, THE CONCERNS OF THE PUBLIC. UM, THAT SAID, I, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THIS CITY HALL ARE NOT EXACT NECESSARILY REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF LONG BEACH. UM, THEY TRY TO BE, BUT I, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE ACTUALLY POLLING THE PUBLIC, YOU'RE JUST SORT OF HEARING WHO SHOWS UP. UM, SO I DON'T KNOW. I GUESS I'M ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT'S COMPLICATED, BUT IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE COMPLICATED TO SAY STOP KILLING CIVILIANS. LIKE, THAT'S THE HARD LINE THAT I DRAW, THAT I FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD BE EASY FOR EVERYONE TO DRAW. KILLING CIVILIANS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IT HAS NEVER BEEN ACCEPTABLE. UM, AND I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT MY TIME. SO THANK YOU FOR YOURS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. HI, NATE HUSHNA, I LIVE IN DISTRICT THREE AND I'M HERE, UM, TO THANK THIS COMMISSION FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. IT'S BEEN HARD WORK. THIS IS A HARD ISSUE FOR EVERYONE, FOR ME AS A PROUD AMERICAN JEW. IT'S NOT SO HARD, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE HARD AND YOU GUYS HAVE TAKEN IN A LOT FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING AND ALL YOU'VE DONE. UM, IT IS THE SECOND NIGHT OF HANUKKAH. I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY THAT HANUKKAH IS A CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE'S RESISTANCE TO OPPRESSION. AND SO IT IS PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE TO DO THIS WORK AT THIS TIME AND COME OUT ON THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE. I AGREE, KILLING CIVILIANS IS NEVER A GOOD THING. KILLING KILLING IS NEVER A GOOD THING, BUT KILLING CIVILIANS IS A PARTICULARLY NOT GOOD THING. UM, AND SO CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE RIGHT NOW IS VERY IMPORTANT. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERY CITY I EVERY CITY IN THIS COUNTRY TO SAY SOMETHING TO THIS. AND A NUMBER OF CITIES HAVE A NUMBER OF CITIES HAVE FACED IT AND BACK DOWN FROM THE COURAGE IT TAKES TO ACT. UM, THERE ARE COUNTER PRESSURES. I KNOW THEM, THEY'RE ON ME AS WELL BECAUSE I AM ACTUALLY A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. UM, THAT'S A LITTLE DIG AT SOMEONE. UH, AND, UH, AND SO I GET IT FROM EVERYWHERE, BUT THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. TO STAND FOR JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO. UH, MY NAME IS [00:15:01] ZAINA BUNGIE. I AM ORIGINALLY FROM ORANGE COUNTY, BUT I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF LONG BEACH, UH, FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. I ORIGINALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH LONG BEACH AS A CAL STATE LONG BEACH STUDENT. I EARNED BOTH MY BACHELOR'S AND MY MASTER'S IN SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY AT CAL STATE LONG BEACH. AND JUST BEING IN THE CITY, I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE WITH LONG BEACH AND I, AND I COULDN'T WAIT TO MOVE HERE. UM, YOU KNOW, AS A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST AND ALSO AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT CERRITOS COLLEGE, UM, I REALLY TRY TO LEAD MY PROFESSION WITH HUMANITY AND, AND HUMILITY. AND I, I DO BELIEVE THAT I JUST, I NEED TO STAND HERE AND BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. SO I JUST ASK YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, TO ASK FOR A CEASEFIRE BECAUSE, UM, ALSO BEING ARAB AMERICAN, BEING MUSLIM, BEING QUEER, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT SEEING PEOPLE, UM, IN PALESTINE WITH MY NAME, WHO SPEAK MY LANGUAGE, UM, WITH MY ETHNICITY, WHO ALSO PRACTICE THE SAME RELIGION, UH, JUST BEING PERSECUTED. IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO JUST OPEN MY PHONE AND SEE VIDEOS OF, OF SO MUCH, SO MANY HORRIFIC, UM, SCENES. AND, UM, MY DAD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BORN IN PALESTINE. HE WAS BORN IN 1948, BUT MY, MY GRANDMA HAD TO FLEE PALESTINE, UH, TO JORDAN, UM, BECAUSE OF THE NPA. UM, AND SO I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY, ON BEHALF OF MY COMMUNITY, UH, TO CALL FOR A CEASE A SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER AARA. UH, MY NAME IS JEFFREY PUM. I'VE LIVED IN LONG BEACH SINCE 1989, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE THIRD COUNCIL DISTRICT. I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THIS RECOMMENDATION. I THINK THAT IT IS INCOMPLETE. UM, THE, UH, RESOLUTION IS ASKING FOR A RETURN TO THE CEASEFIRE. UM, ISRAEL AND HAMAS HAVE NOT BEEN AT PEACE. THERE WAS A CEASEFIRE IN PLACE ON OCTOBER 6TH, WHICH WAS NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES. AND I THINK THAT, UM, PUTTING THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE ON OCTOBER 6TH WITHOUT MENTIONING THE APPROXIMATELY 138 HOSTAGES THAT ARE STILL BEING HELD BY HAMAS. AND WITHOUT MENTIONING THE HORRIFIC, UM, UH, SEXUAL VIOLENCE THAT WAS PERPETRATED TO BOTH WOMEN AND GIRLS, UM, BY HAMAS. AND IT WAS DOCUMENTED IN TESTIMONY THIS WEEK TO UNITED NATIONS IS A ONE-SIDED, UM, APPROACH. UM, IN FACT, OF COURSE, THE HOUSE RESOLUTION, WHICH WAS, UM, INTRODUCED LAST MONTH BY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE BUSH OF MISSOURI, UM, PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT, OF COURSE IS NOT GONNA BE PASSED IN THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE ANYWAY. SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS SYMBOLIC. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A SYMBOLIC, UM, STATEMENT, PLEASE, PLEASE AMEND WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND INCLUDE THE, SOME CONCERN FOR THESE HOSTAGES THAT ARE STILL BEING HELD, SOME OF WHOM ARE AMERICANS, SOME OF WHOM HAVE BEEN KILLED. AND, UM, WE ALL WANT TO STOP TO THE VIOLENCE, BUT WE NEED TO GET THE HOSTAGES HOME AND WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ATROCITIES THAT WERE PERFORMED ON OCTOBER THE SEVENTH. UM, AND, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE HERE, LIKE I'M THE ONLY ONE SPEAKING, UH, TO AMEND THE MOTION, BUT THERE'S NO RUSH IN PUSHING THIS THROUGH IF IT HAS TO BE REWORKED. UM, IF YOU NEED HELP IN MAKING THIS MORE EVEN HANDED, UM, THERE ARE CERTAINLY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. I'M NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS. AND I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU BEFORE RUSHING OUT TO MAKE A SYMBOLIC ONE-SIDED RESOLUTION THAT YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS INVOLVED AND THINK ABOUT THOSE FAMILIES WAITING FOR THE RETURNS OF THE HOSTAGES IN ISRAEL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW IT'S FRIDAY. I TOLD THE CROWD TO STAY BACK TODAY, AS YOU CAN SEE, SO THAT YOU CAN GET HOME TO YOUR FAMILIES. I DO APPRECIATE YOUR COURAGE. IT TRULY IS GREAT COURAGE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE TAKEN AS A GROUP AND INDIVIDUALLY, AND PERHAPS THE GENTLEMAN IS RIGHT IF WE REALLY WANT TO GET INTO POLITICS. WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT THE 10,000 HOSTAGES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN THE ISRAELI PRISONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE CHILDREN THAT ARE SERVING UP TO 20 YEARS FOR THROWING ROCKS. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF REPORTS BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND MANY EXPERTS THAT SHOW SEXUAL ASSAULT AND RAPE. THAT'S HAPPENED AT THE HANDS OF THE IDF. LET'S JUST BE REAL. WE CAN BOTH LOOK AT EACH SIDE AND [00:20:01] PROBABLY FIND ATROCITIES THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY. I DON'T THINK ANY OF OUR HANDS ARE CLEAN, BUT IT IS TIME FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO REALLY COME TOGETHER. WHAT IS SO HARD TO SAY? STOP THE KILLING, THEN WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY. AND TO MY JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT FEEL THAT THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF SOMEBODY WAS DOING THAT DURING THE TIME OF THE HOLOCAUST SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO STAND FOR YOU, TO FIGHT FOR YOU AND OUR MUSLIM COUNTRIES ACROSS THE WORLD? WE EMBRACE OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY. MY MOTHER GREW UP SIDE BY SIDE AND SHE TOLD US SINCE THE TIME WE WERE YOUNG, BEFORE WE EVEN CAME TO AMERICA, THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISIONS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS. AND THEY DON'T. HUMANITY IS HUMANITY. AND TO ALL THE POWERS BEHIND THE SCENES THAT ARE PLAYING GAMES WITH LIVES HAVE MERCY. 25,000 PEOPLE ARE EITHER DEAD OR MISSING. GAZA'S GONE A PLACE I PLAYED AS A CHILD, A PLACE THAT I, UH, TOOK MY NAPS UNDER THE OLIVE TREE. AND I WOULD GET UP AND MY GRANDMA WOULD COME WITH A CUP OF TEA AND A SANDWICH. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BACK THEN, EVEN A BOYCOTTED DRINK THAT I DON'T WANNA SAY THE NAME OF, BECAUSE WE DRANK IT THERE AND IT WAS COLD. AND SHE WOULD TELL US STORIES ABOUT OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE BECAUSE WE KNEW THE WORLD WAS AGAINST US. OUR FAITH WAS SO STRONG AND, AND, AND THE WAY THAT WE LOVED OUR LAND AND OUR PEOPLE GROWING UP. MY FATHER'S FAVORITE, FAVORITE HOLIDAY WAS CHRISTMAS. JESUS WAS BORN IN PALESTINE. JESUS WAS BORN UNDER OPPRESSION. AND THEN JESUS CAME BACK, A A JEWISH MAN BORN IN PALESTINE. WE ARE MORE CONNECTED TO OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY THAN WE ARE NOT CONNECTED. I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON A CEASEFIRE, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE. THANK YOU. I'M NOT TECHNICALLY READY, . UM, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S WAYNE MARCHIN, PLANET EARTH, BUT MORE LOCALLY. SECOND DISTRICT. UH, PARDON ME A MOMENT HERE, BIG FINGERS ON A SMALL PHONE. UH, I, I WOEFULLY WISH I'D BEEN HERE YESTERDAY FOR YOUR MEETING AND BEEN ABLE TO DO INPUT, BUT I'M HOPING, LIKE THAT GENTLEMAN SAID THAT IT CAN BE, IT'S NOT FINALIZED, IT'S NOT CARVED IN STONE YET. AND IT CAN STILL BE TWEAKED BECAUSE, UM, NUMBER FOUR, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE AND CONDEMN ANTISEMITISM. IT COVERS THE OTHERS THAT YOU'VE LISTED. 'CAUSE SEMETIC IS NOT GERMANE TO ISRAEL. IT A LANGUAGE SET. AND SO WHEN YOU SAY ANTISEMITIC, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. UM, WHEN YOU SAY ANTISEMITIC, YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE COVERING A WHOLE RANGE OF PEOPLES THAT LIVE IN THAT REGION, NOT JUST ISRAELIS. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SEMITIC PEOPLE PERSECUTING, UH, SEMITIC PEOPLE THAT WERE PERSECUTED, PERSECUTING SEMITIC PEOPLE. 'CAUSE PALESTINIANS ARE SEMI MEDICS, OR ARABS ARE SEMI MEDICS. THEY SPEAK A LANGUAGE THAT IS SEMITIC. SO IF YOU COULD TAKE THE REST OF IT OUT AND JUST SAY SEMITIC, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UM, AND IT IS HORRENDOUS WHAT'S HAPPENED. AND, UH, UH, AS THE, UH, YOUNG LADY BEFORE ME SAID THE, THE REPERCUSSION OF, OF, UH, OCTOBER 7TH HAS BEEN TENFOLD AGAINST. AND THAT'S UNCONSCIONABLE. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. HELLO, COMMISSION. UM, I WANNA THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR YOUR URGENCY IN THIS MATTER. UM, SOMEONE WAN, UH, DISTRICT TWO. UM, I ALSO WANNA JUST SAY I USED TO INTERN FOR GAVIN NEWSOM WHEN HE WAS MAYOR OF SAN FRANCISCO. AND I WAS SO ENCOURAGED TO INTERN FOR HIM BECAUSE HE CAME TO OUR COMMUNITY AND HE SPOKE TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND HE ACTED LIKE HE CARED ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY. AND THAT HASN'T BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN THE LONG RUN, UNFORTUNATELY. SO YOU GUYS BEING HERE AND REALLY BEING ABOUT YOUR WORD, UM, IS REALLY ENCOURAGING. UM, AS I MENTIONED ON WEDNESDAY, MY AUNT ZA, UM, HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM SINCE OCTOBER 12TH, SINCE HER HOME HAS BEEN BOMBED [00:25:01] AND SHE HAS BEEN SHELTERING, UM, AT A UN SHELTER. UM, I SUPPORT THIS CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND TO PUT IT FORWARD TO CITY HALL. AND I JUST WANNA STRESS THAT IT'S NOT DRAMATIC. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING CRAZY. WE'RE NOT ASKING TO MOVE MOUNTAINS. WE'RE JUST SAYING STOP VIOLENCE, PERIOD. FULL STOP. UM, WE'RE NOT, THERE'S NOTHING IN IT THAT SAYS A POLITICAL SOLUTION OR STOP THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TAX TAXES THAT WE PAY TO INSTEAD OF GOING TO OUR HEALTHCARE AND SCHOOLS GO TO DESTROY OTHER COMMUNITIES. SO IT, IT'S BEEN REALLY DISHEARTENING. MY HEART HAS BEEN BLEEDING. I WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND INSTEAD OF WORKING, I WAS PAYING ATTENTION TO, UM, THE CALLS FOR UN TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY WAS THE ONLY ONE TO VOTE NO TO VETO THAT SLU UH, THAT RESOLUTION. AND IT REALLY BROKE MY HEART. SO I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO THINK GLOBALLY, BUT I'M REALLY TRYING TO ACT LOCALLY. AND I'M HERE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN I COULD BE AT A BAR DRINKING , AND I PLAN ON DOING THAT AFTER. BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS IMPORTANT. UM, AND I, I, YOU GUYS BEING HERE HAS ENCOURAGED ME TO BE MORE CIVICALLY ENGAGED. UM, AND I REALLY THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU. HELLO. HELLO. I'M DOUG GIBBS FROM BELMONT SHORE. UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT DISTRICT NUMBER IT IS, BUT, UH, WE ALL WANT PEACE. WE ALL WANT CIVILITY, COMMON SENSE AND DIGNITY. WHATEVER WORDS YOU PUT FORTH REPRESENTING THE CITY OF LONG BEACH SHOULD BE UNDERSTOOD. THIS IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. STOP THE RAPE, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES. AND MAY, MAY WE BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD IN A PEACEFUL, DIGNIFIED MANNER. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ONE MORE PERSON? OKAY. UM, MY NAME IS MANDY. SHE, UH, WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING YOUR TIME OUTTA YOUR FRIDAY NIGHT. I ALSO WANNA APOLOGIZE FOR GOING OVER TALKING LAST TIME. I'LL MAKE SURE THIS ONE'S NICE AND BRIEF. UM, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT SOME OF MY FRIENDS WERE SAYING WAS THAT, UM, I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW IS THAT IT'S KIND OF A TIME SENSITIVE THING, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THE MORE CITIES THAT WE CAN GET TO BACK UP A CEASEFIRE MEANS THAT THE LESS LIVES ARE GONNA BE LOST ON ISRAEL'S SIDE. AND THERE'S GONNA BE LOSS ON PALESTINE SIDE. OBVIOUSLY IT'S EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER ON PALESTINE SIDE, AND WE CAN, WE CAN DEBATE THE NUMBERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY DEBATABLE, RIGHT? THERE'S JUST FACTS, RIGHT? THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS 1,200 PEOPLE KILLED BY HAMAS IN, UH, OCTOBER 7TH. AND THERE'S BEEN OVER CLOSE TO 25,000 KILLED ALREADY. SO, I MEAN, COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT, GENOCIDE, APARTHEID, THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS. AND I KNOW THAT THESE WORDS HAVE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR SOMEONE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THESE ACTIONS. 'CAUSE IT'S UNFORTUNATELY THE REALITY WE LIVE IN. AND JUST TO FINISH IT OFF REAL QUICK, AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE DI 1948 MASSACRE, THE TANURA 1948 MASSACRE, THE KABI 1953 MASSACRE IN PALESTINE, THE 19 56, 19 57, THE 1970, THE SHA 1982, THE 1994, THE JANIN 2002, AND THE FOUR HAMA, UH, THE FOUR GAZA WAR THAT WE'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED PRIOR TO OCTOBER 7TH. SO WHEN WE ASKED FOR A CEASEFIRE, I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THE OPPONENTS HAVE BEEN SAYING, OH, WE'RE SCARED BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED OCTOBER 7TH. BUT WE'RE TERRIFIED AND HISTORY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION TODAY. REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHARING, UH, YET ANOTHER NIGHT OF ROBUST COMMENTS. UM, WE ARE CHAIR. YES, I'M SORRY. UH, WE HAVE ONE PERSON IN THE ZOOM. WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON IN THE ZOOM NOW. MM-HMM, . OKAY. SO LET'S PROCEED WITH THAT BEFORE, UH, WE, WE MOVE FORWARD. SO ONE PERSON ON THE ZOOM. ANTHONY, YOU'RE . HI, MY NAME'S ANTHONY. OH, PERFECT. MY NAME'S ANTHONY BRYSON. I'M FROM THE FIRST DISTRICT, AND, UH, I AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS MOVEMENT COMMISSION. UH, GREAT JOB TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING IN THIS FRIDAY. I'LL KEEP IT REALLY BRIEF. UM, AS I SAID ON WEDNESDAY, I'M A GAY BLACK MALE, AND I BELIEVE THAT LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT. LANGUAGE IS WHAT SETS THE TONE. LANGUAGE IS WHAT DRAWS THE LINE. WHEN WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS, I HEAR A LOT OF THE OPPOSITION TALKING ABOUT INSTANCES THAT CONFLATE THE HAMAS PEOPLE AND THE [00:30:01] PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. I THINK THE POSITION WE TAKE AS A CITY IN CONSTRUCTING A LETTER OF SUCH IS ONE THAT SAYS EXACTLY WHAT IS NEEDED. WORDS LIKE GENOCIDE, WORDS LIKE APARTHEID, WORDS, LIKE COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION. IMAGINE WITNESSING THE HOLOCAUST ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT WOULD, IT WOULD SPARK THE SAME REACTION FROM, FROM THE WORLD. AND, AND I, I TRY TO DO THE RESEARCH AND I TRY TO SEE IF THERE WERE PROTESTS IN THE 1930S AND IF THERE WAS PROTESTS IN THE FORTIES, IF THERE WERE PROTESTS, UH, PEOPLE ASKING TO GIVE AID TO, TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITIES. AND I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WASN'T REPORTED. AND WHEN I, WHEN I'M LIVING TODAY AND, AND I, AND I SEE THEY'RE NOT REPORTING THE ACTIONS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR CEASEFIRE. AND I JUST DON'T WANT ANOTHER GENERATION TO BE SLAUGHTERED AND, AND HAVE THEIR CRIES AND PLEAS FOR HELP FOR THEIR COMMUNITY ACROSS SEAS AND WATERS TO GO AND BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG. LONG BEACH IS A POWERFUL CITY AND HAS CAPABILITIES TO SET THE TONE FOR THE STATE. BY LEAVING THE LANGUAGE AS IS MAKES US A MORE INCLUSIVE CITY BY LEAVING THE LANGUAGE AS IS, ALLOWS US TO STAND UP AND PROTECT OUR PALESTINIAN, OUR ARAB, OUR JEWISH, AND OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY HERE IN LONG BEACH. SO I WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO CONTINUE FORWARD, FORWARD DOING THE GREAT JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING. EACH OF IT, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. AND I WOULD SAY KEEP THE LANGUAGE. THE LANGUAGE IS CRITICAL. LANGUAGE IS CRITICAL. LANGUAGE IS, WERE ONCE SIGNS THAT SAID WHITE ONLY LANGUAGE WAS ONCE. SIGNS THAT SAID BLACK ONLY LANGUAGE IS CRITICAL. LANGUAGE IS IS WORDING THAT ONCE SAID, GAY MARRIAGE IS ILLEGAL. LANGUAGE IS CRITICAL. SO I APPLAUD YOU, UH, CITY COMMISSION FOR, FOR DOING THE STEPS NEEDED, ENCOURAGING MOST OF OUR YOUTH TO COME OUT AND, AND BE ENGAGED IN CIVIL TIME IS UP. THANK YOU. WE HAVE YOUR TIME IS UNFORTUNATELY UP, BUT I THANK YOU FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR COMMENT. AND I WANNA GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL POINT THAT I WAS MAKING. UH, BUT LET DO JUST A QUICK LITTLE CHECK IN JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, ENSURE THAT EVERY PERSON HAS SPOKEN. SO ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL PEOPLE ON THE ZOOM? SO ONE OTHER PERSON RAISED THEIR HAND POP THEY POPPED UP RIGHT NOW? YES. OKAY. SO IS THERE ANYONE JUST FOR MY OWN FYI AND THAT OF COMMISSION, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ON, I'M GONNA DO THIS JUST ONE TIME. IF ANYONE ELSE IS ON ZOOM THAT IS GONNA PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE QUEUE UP NOW. 'CAUSE OTHERWISE THIS IS GONNA BE THE LAST PERSON. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, ALL RIGHT. THIS IS GONNA BE THE LAST PERSON, KATE. MY NAME IS LAWRENCE ROSENTHAL. I'M A RESIDENT OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. THE DIFFICULTY THE COMMISSION FACES WHEN ACTING ON A RECOMMENDATION OF THIS TYPE IS IT IS EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT TO BE EVEN HANDED. THIS RECOMMENDATION IS NOT EVEN HANDED. IT CONTAINS ONE UNQUALIFIED DEMAND FOR A CEASEFIRE CEASE. THERE IS NO GAMENT THAT THE HOSTAGES BE RETURNED, THAT THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS BE GRANTED ACCESS TO THE HOSTAGES. THIS INDEFINITE CEASEFIRE THAT IS RECOMMENDED MEANS HAMAS CAN HOLD ITS HOSTAGES INDEFINITELY WITHOUT FEAR OF ATTACK. THAT'S THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION. IF ANY ONE OF US HAD A FAMILY MEMBER BEING HELD UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE RECOMMENDATION FOR AN UNQUALIFIED UNCONDITIONAL CEASEFIRE WOULD BE APPALLING. THERE IS A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN GAZA, BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY HUMANITARIAN CRISIS. THE COMMISSION IGNORES THE HUMANITARIAN OUTRAGE ON OCTOBER 7TH, AND THE COMMISSION IGNORES AS WELL. THE REASON THAT THERE ARE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES, BECAUSE HAMAS USES THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF GAZA AS A HUMAN SHIELD, HAMAS' STRATEGY IS TO SAY, WE WILL ATTACK YOU, WE WILL TAKE YOUR HOSTAGES. AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT WITHOUT BEING CONDEMNED BECAUSE OF THE RISK TO CIVILIANS. THERE IS AN ENORMOUS SAMIR HUMANITARIAN [00:35:01] PROBLEM, BUT IT CANNOT BE ADDRESSED FOR NEGOTIATIONS OR OTHERWISE UNLESS IT IS ADDRESSED EVEN HANDEDLY. THIS RESOLUTION REFLECTS CONCERNS ONLY ABOUT WHAT'S THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN GAZA AND DOES NOT CONTAIN A RECIPROCAL RECOGNITION OF THE SAFETY OF THE JEWISH HOSTAGES, OF THE LOSS OF JEWISH LIFE. THIS RESOLUTION REAPS OF ANTISEMITISM AND THE COMMISSION OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE. I'M GONNA GO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT, WHICH IS I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY MEMBER, NOT ONLY IN TODAY'S SPACE, BUT THE OF COURSE, WEDNESDAY AND THEN A MONTH AGO. UM, I APPRECIATE THE GRATITUDE THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE SHARED FOR THE COMMISSION, BUT OUR GRATITUDE REALLY IS FOR ALL OF YOU ALL BECAUSE WE SIGNED UP TO BE UP HERE. WE SIGNED UP TO REPRESENT OUR DIVERSE CONSTITUENCIES, AND WE'RE INVESTED IN OUR WORK. BUT WE CANNOT DO THIS IMPORTANT WORK WITHOUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. SO REALLY, THE GRATITUDE IS ALL OURS. UM, HAVING SAID THAT, I DO WANNA REMIND THE PUBLIC THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE, UH, WENT THROUGH THEM ON WEDNESDAY. THIS IS A PROCEDURAL VOTE TO ENSURE THAT IT GOES THROUGH THE OFFICIAL CHANNELS. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REACH OUT TO YOUR RESPECTIVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OR MAYOR, UM, TO CONTINUE GIVING THAT INPUT BECAUSE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT THEY'RE IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT IT IS UP TO CITY COUNCIL TO, UH, TAKE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN THEY ON CONSULTATION WHEN THEIR CONSTITUENTS WILL COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WANNA DO. THAT BEST REPRESENTS THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. AND FOR ALL OF US, THE REPRESENTATION IS THE, THE GREAT DIVERSITY THERE HAVE HERE. AND TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE OF US IS TO THE GREATEST POSSIBLE, FEEL SAFE IN OUR COMMUNITY, FEEL VALUED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND, UH, UM, HAVE EMPATHY FOR ONE ANOTHER. AND WE APPRECIATE LISTENING TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. AND MY LAST THOUGHT, UM, WE LISTEN TO SO MANY COMMENTS WITH A LOT OF NECESSARY COMMENTS, BUT A LOT OF TRIGGERING INFORMATION, UH, AND IMAGES, UM, YOU KNOW, HUG YOUR FAMILIES TONIGHT, HUG YOUR KIDS IF YOU HAVE KIDS HUG YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR FAMILIES. BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WE CAN'T HUG TONIGHT 'CAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER WITH US BECAUSE OF THIS CRISIS. SO I THINK OF THAT THE NEXT TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, I HUG MY PARTNER OR THAT I HUG MY FAMILY AND MY GOD KIDS. UM, WE ARE IN A VERY, VERY, VERY TOUGH SITUATION RIGHT NOW GLOBALLY, AND WE DO THIS WORK BECAUSE WE CARE FOR HUMANITY. SO WITH THAT SAID, I DO WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR TO FELLOW COMMISSIONERS TO SHARE THEIR OWN COMMENTS BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE VOTE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR, UH, COVINGTON. THANK YOU, CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TODAY. UH, AND THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US ON ZOOM. UH, IF YOU PRACTICE THE JEWISH FAITH, THANK YOU FOR COMING ON THIS HOLY DAY TO SPEND TIME WITH US AS WELL. UM, IN REGARDS TO THE, UM, RECOMMENDATION, I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED FOR THE PROCESS OF PROVIDING THE COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, DEFINE AND DEVELOP THE EXACT LANGUAGE THAT WILL END UP IN THE FINAL RESOLUTION. SO THIS IS, AS CHAIR HAS MENTIONED, THIS IS A PROCEDURAL VOTE TO GIVE COUNCIL THE POWER TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP THE FINAL LANGUAGE. SO AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, IF YOU WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU CAN CALL THEM, YOU CAN SET UP A MEETING WITH THEM THAT'S WITHIN YOUR RIGHT AS A CITIZEN, UH, IN THIS COUNTRY OR RESIDENT IN THIS COUNTRY. AND, UH, YOU CAN ENACT YOUR CIVIC DUTY IN THAT WAY. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE VOTE. COMMISSIONER BATS, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS A DIFFICULT POLITICAL ISSUE WHERE BOTH SIDES HAVE STRONG VIEWS. UM, I AM GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU WHO BELIEVE IN US AS EQUITY COMMISSIONERS TO AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE TO THE LEADERS HERE IN LONG BEACH. AND GRATEFUL THAT YOU FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO COME HERE AND OPEN UP AND SHARE YOUR STORIES AND YOUR CONCERNS. UM, ONE THING [00:40:01] WE SHOULD ALL BE UNITED ON IS THAT THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS THAT IS GROWING IN GAZA, THE LACK OF FOOD AND WATER, UM, WOMEN BEING RAPED, HOSTAGES, CIVILIAN CASUALTIES. IT'S ALL JUST HEARTBREAKING. AND AS COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE HERE, WE'RE COMMITTED. WE'RE HERE ON A FRIDAY, WE'RE COMMITTED. UM, WE WANT TO TAKE A VOTE THIS EVENING BASED UPON THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR. AND WE STRONGLY REQUEST THAT THEY LISTEN AND HEAR YOUR VOICE AS WELL. UM, BECAUSE THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IS EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS, RIGHT? AND WITH IT NOT BEING ON THEIR AGENDA, WE HEAR YOUR CONCERNS. UM, SO AGAIN, WE JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THAT I, I HEAR ESPECIALLY THE LAST, UH, CALLER, UM, THAT THE COMMUNITY MAY WANT A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GUYS REACHING OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL. PEOPLE, I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN TO, UM, OUR COUNCILMEN IN DISTRICT EIGHT, UM, AND THEY CAN EXPAND ON THAT. YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST OUR RECOMMENDATION TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA SO THAT IT CAN BE, UM, YOU GUYS CAN COME IN AND SPEAK OPENLY AND WORK WITH THEM TO GET IT EXPANDED. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING OUT THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BATS. COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR COMING OUT, UH, COMING OUT TONIGHT AND SPEAKING. UH, UH, I WANT TO HEAR EVERY SINGLE VOICE, AND I THINK I SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY UP HERE. UM, I CAN'T SPEAK TO ANY, UH, A SPECIFIC COMMENT THAT WAS MADE, BUT IN GENERAL, I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU AND ENCOURAGE YOU. UM, IT'S NEVER WRONG TO CALL YOUR COUNCIL PERSON. UM, UH, YOU DON'T CALL YOUR COUNCIL PERSON TO MAKE COMMENTS FOR A COMMISSION MEETING. UM, TO, IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON OUR COMMISSION MEETING, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO DO THAT, UH, AT THE DAIS HERE ON, ON OUR EVENINGS THROUGH, UH, E-COM. UH, AND, UH, TO ANYONE LISTENING OR WATCHING, UM, UH, WE'VE BEEN GETTING EMAILS FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS FROM OUR, UH, STAFF. UH, WHEN YOU SUBMIT THAT LETTER, IT IS EMAILED TO EACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY. AND I'VE MADE SURE TO READ ALL OF, ALL OF THE, UH, E-COMMERCE THAT HAVE COME IN. THOSE ARE SENT TO OUR PERSONAL EMAILS. WHEN THOSE COME IN. UH, YOU CAN ALSO ZOOM, UM, UH, AND THAT'S HOW YOU CAN, YOU CAN TALK TO US, BUT YOU ARE ALWAYS ENCOURAGED TO, I HOPE YOU WILL CALL YOUR COUNCIL PERSONS. AND ANY COUNCIL OFFICE THAT SAYS THAT YOU, YOU SHOULDN'T BE CALLING THEM, UH, IS, IS MISTAKEN. AND, AND PERHAPS THEY WERE JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO GET AHOLD OF THE COMMISSION. CALL YOUR COUNCIL PERSON, UH, AND, AND TELL THEM YOUR THOUGHTS. UH, SEND AN E-COM. UH, THEY'RE ATTACHED. I CAN READ YOUR COMMENTS RIGHT HERE ON THE SCREEN. UM, UH, AND, AND WE DO GET THOSE IN EMAILS, UH, OR COME TO THE DAIS ON DECEMBER 12TH FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND CIVILLY, UH, UM, COME AND ENCOURAGE THEM ALONG WITH US TO, UH, UH, TO HAVE THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE. UM, SO AGAIN, THANKS FOR COMING OUT. UM, MY ONLY COMMENT IS, IS, IS, IS IS SOMEONE BROUGHT UP THE POINT THAT SINCE, UH, SINCE WE WROTE THIS LETTER, THERE WAS A CEASEFIRE. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT, UH, UH, UH, NUMBER TWO WHERE IT MENTIONS, UH, UM, GOING BACK TO A, TO A LASTING CEASEFIRE, PERHAPS THE CEASEFIRE, THE WORDING COULD BE ENDING THE CONFLICT OR, OR, OR SOMETHING ENDING THE KILLING. AND YOU, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UH, VERSUS JUST GOING BACK TO A CEASEFIRE. AND I, AND I'M, AND WHEN I THINK CEASEFIRE, I, I JUST THINK STOP, STOP KILLING EVERYBODY. UM, SO, UH, UH, I WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD PUT STRONGER LANGUAGE THERE TO, TO STOP THE VIOLENCE. AND I'M PROBABLY NOT SCHOOLED ENOUGH TO, TO KNOW, UH, UH, UH, THE PROS AND CONS OF, OF, OF, OF THAT. BUT, UM, [00:45:03] THANK YOU REALLY MAKING, UH, COMMENTS AND THANKS FOR, FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SCHULTZ. COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ, THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, GOOD EVENING, COMMUNITY. JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. YOU ALL HAVE SPENT JUST SO MUCH TIME SHARING WITH US OVER THE LAST MONTH, JUST YOUR HEART AND YOUR PAIN AND YOUR TRUTH. AND THAT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME AND TO THIS COMMISSION. 'CAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF BRAVERY TO GET UP HERE AND, AND BE SO VULNERABLE. SO JUST WANTING TO SHARE APPRECIATION AND THANKS. AND, UM, ONE THING THAT I, UM, I, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THIS. I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE FLOOR. UM, BUT I, I DO HOPE WHEN IT REACHES OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UM, THEY WILL JUST, YOU KNOW, REALLY THINK ABOUT ROOTING THIS RESOLUTION IN A HUMANITARIAN, UM, LENS. THAT THIS IS ABOUT HUMAN LOSS AND LOSS OF LIFE. AND WHEREVER THAT LOSS OF LIFE HAS TAKEN PLACE, I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE IN A PLACE, UNFORTUNATELY, AS A SOCIETY TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE KINDS OF TRUTHS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TOLD AROUND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING. UM, SO I THINK THAT IS JUST A, A HARD, UM, TRUTH THAT I'VE HAD TO SIT WITH IN THE LAST MONTH SINCE OUR, OUR FIRST SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS. AND SO I JUST, UM, JUST GIVING THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES, UM, WHO FEELS JUST SO IMPACTED BY WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. UM, JUST SO MUCH APPRECIATION FOR YOUR GRACE AND, UM, JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS, THIS IS THE BEST PATH FORWARD. UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY IMPORTANT WORK TO DO AS A SOCIETY TO CONTINUE TO, UM, EDUCATE FOLKS AND, UM, HELP FOLKS REALLY UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S TRUE, UM, AND WHAT'S REAL FOR, FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN IN GAZA AND, AND OTHER PLACES IN IN PALESTINE. UM, AND THE LAST THING I WANNA JUST SHARE, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER NATA FOR ACKNOWLEDGING, UM, THAT TONIGHT IS THE RIGHT NIGHT. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE TO BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ON HANUKKAH ON THE SECOND NIGHT OF HANUKKAH, ON SHABBAT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, AS AFTER WE SELECTED THIS DATE ON WEDNESDAY, I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS. LIKE, THIS IS NOT GREAT. THIS IS NOT GOOD TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARE GONNA BE CELEBRATING WITH THEIR FAMILIES. I CELEBRATE HANUKKAH LAST NIGHT, YOU KNOW, I WAS ABLE TO LIGHT THE MANURE WITH MY CHILDREN AND FAMILY. UM, AND THEN I WAS REMINDED, UM, YOU KNOW, BY SOME FRIENDS THAT LIKE THIS STORY IS ABOUT OUR RESISTANCE AND OUR RESILIENCE AND OUR TRIUMPH. AND SO MANY OF OUR, OUR TRADITIONS AND OUR JEWISH TRADITIONS ARE ROOTED IN OVERCOMING OPPRESSION. AND I AM SO PROUD OF THAT AND PROUD OF OUR PEOPLE FOR THAT. AND, AND IT IS WHY I STAND WITH OUR PALESTINIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS THROUGH THIS STRUGGLE AND WHY I CONDEMN ALL KILLING OF ALL CIVILIANS. AND, UM, I, FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT HUMANITY. AND, AND MY HOPE AND WISH IS THAT WE CAN LIVE HERE ON THIS EARTH TOGETHER. THAT WE CAN SHARE LAND AND SHARE RESOURCES AND WHATEVER GETS US CLOSER TO THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M FOR. SO THANK YOU. UM, HOPING CITY COUNCIL WILL TAKE THIS UP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ADD THEIR VOICE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BRAVE CITIES WHO ARE, ARE CALLING FOR OUR CEASEFIRE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ, UH, I HAVE COMMISSIONER GILLETTE. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU HERE IN CHAMBERS AND ONLINE FOR AGAIN, VOICING, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS. AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MANY REASONS THAT I CHOSE TO LIVE IN LONG BEACH IS THE DIVERSITY OF THIS COMMUNITY. I MEAN, EVEN LOOKING AROUND THIS ROOM, WE SEE SO MUCH DIVERSITY AND IT'S ONE OF THE MANY STRENGTHS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY. AND OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, YOU HAVE ALL PLAYED A ROLE IN EDUCATING ALL OF US, EDUCATING ONE ANOTHER, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. SO I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE, UM, IN OUR MEMO, UH, WE DO HAVE, [00:50:01] I'M GOING TO READ IT. UM, THE COMMISSION ALSO REQUESTS THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF EQUITY TO IDENTIFY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT CENTER ARAB, JEWISH, PALESTINIAN, AND MUSLIM EXPERIENCES AND VOICES TO PROVIDE INPUT IN DEVELOPING THE LOCAL CEASEFIRE STATEMENT. AS MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAD MENTIONED, THIS IS SIMPLY OUR PROCEDURAL PROCESS IN RECOMMEND MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY SO THEY COULD BE AGENDIZED AND YOU CAN SPEAK ABOUT IT, UH, TO OUR LOCAL OFFICIALS. I URGE YOU IN READING THAT LAST STATEMENT, NOT JUST CALLING YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT AS THE OFFICE OF EQUITY IS IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONS FROM VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS, IF YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO THE OFFICE OF EQUITY. IT'LL MAKE THE PROCESS EVEN SMOOTHER AND FASTER, IS MY HOPE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UM, AT THIS POINT, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT COMMISSIONERS MADE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS PEPPERED THROUGHOUT OUR COMMENTS, AND SIMILAR TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE PUBLIC, PROCEDURALLY, THE NEXT STEP AFTER THE VOTE IS TO REALLY MOVE FORWARD SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL PROCESS. SO SINCE THIS IS A PROCEDURAL VOTE, I'M GONNA ASK OUR CLERK TO GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE SO WE CAN FINALIZE THE PROCESS. COMMISSIONER GUTIERREZ. OH, MOTION CARRIES. OKAY, SO WE CAN SEE ON THE BOARD, IT WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE FROM COMMISSIONERS PRESENT TONIGHT. UM, WE STARTED OFF THE NIGHT WITH GRATITUDE. I WANNA EXTEND THAT SAME GRATITUDE TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS. UM, UH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE HERE ON THE DAAS, BUT I WANNA ESPECIALLY RECOGNIZE THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK FROM FOLKS THAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE UP HERE IN THE DAAS. IT'S OUR STAFF OFFICE OF EQUITY STAFF, ALANA GRANT, TONY VIRAMONTES, UH, ATTORNEY RICH, WHO I JUST MET WEDNESDAY, DUMP TONS OF WORK. UM, ALYSSA AND FOLKS THAT I HAVE, I HAVE YET TO MEET, BUT I, I'VE HAD, BUT WE HAVE OTHER, OTHER STAFF MEMBER HERE IF THEY CAN JUST WAVE. HELLO. UM, THEY ARE HERE WORKING DI DILIGENTLY, UH, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE PUBLIC. AND THEY DO NOT GET ENOUGH CREDIT. THEY DO NOT GET ENOUGH, UH, UH, UH, ACCOLADES. AND, UM, I, I IMMENSELY APPRECIATE, UH, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. AND I, I THANK YOU. YOU'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND I KNOW THAT AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU. UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, TECHNICALLY FOLLOWING ADJOURNMENT, JUST I'M GONNA MAKE SURE I FOLLOW ALL THE PROCESSES HERE. THERE HAS TO BE PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON AGENDIZED ITEM. UM, SO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE MOTIONS, UM, BEFORE I CAN OFFICIALLY CLOSE THE MEETING. SO CAN I ASK THE CLERK IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS OF [PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Equity and Human Relations Commission on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.] THE PUBLIC IN PERSON? I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE LINE UP AT THE PODIUM AT THIS TIME. AND IF THERE ARE ANY MEMBERS IN THE ZOOM THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE NOW OR DIAL STAR NINE IF CALLING IN, SEEING NONE, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT FOR NON-AG AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. DID WE, UH, CALL ANY NON-AGENDA, PUBLIC COMMENT IN HERE IN PERSON? WE'RE GOOD. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GOOD. ALRIGHT. YES. ALRIGHT. UM, AND I FORGOT ONE IMPORTANT PIECE TO MY GRATITUDE, OUR TRANSLATOR IN THE BACK. UM, UM, I JUST SAID THANK YOU. OKAY, SO , YOU KNOW, SO FLAVORFUL IN SPANISH, MUCH MORE FLAVORFUL . UM, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, UH, FEROS AND UM, AND LET'S ENJOY OUR FAMILIES TONIGHT, RIGHT THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND OFFICIALLY CLOSE [ADJOURNMENT] TONIGHT'S MEETING. UM, AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. MM-HMM, . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.