Demonstrators hold rally, silent protest to demand Austin leaders call for ceasefire in Gaza

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Hours before a temporary truce ended in Gaza, pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered outside and then went inside Austin City Hall Thursday to demand Austin City Council members make a formal call for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The Austin for Palestine Coalition, which led the protest, wants council members to pass a resolution that was adopted by the Austin Human Rights Commission on Nov. 6.

That resolution called for the council to:

• express support for de-escalation of the war
• express support for an "explicit ceasefire"
• demand of release of "civilian hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7"
• demand resumption of essential supplies including food, water and fuel to civilians in Gaza

The coalition wants the council to take up and approve the resolution at the council's Dec. 14 meeting.

The group held a rally in front of city hall Thursday morning then staged a silent protest afterward during the city council meeting to push to full city council to pass the measure.

One of the rally organizers said in a release the resolution "unequivocally advocates for the liberation of Israeli hostages and the urgent reinstatement of life-sustaining supplies to the people of Gaza, as well as bringing awareness to the 10,000 Palestinian hostages held in Israeli prisons right now."

"We ask for Austin to join hands with other cities and organizations, answering the urgent call for immediate action. Our city can be the catalyst for positive change, and help exert pressure on a national level for a permanent ceasefire in the bombardment of Gaza."