PRESS ADVISORY: CEASEFIRE DELEGATES AT WA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
For Immediate Release: Friday June 21, 2024
Contact: Jessica Trupin, (206) 659-9760; uncommittedwa@gmail.com
CEASEFIRE DELEGATES TO ATTEND WASHINGTON STATE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
A coalition of Washington Democratic Party delegates will attend the party’s state convention over the weekend to advocate for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to unconditional military funding to Israel.
WHAT: Ceasefire Delegates will attend the Washington State Democratic Convention to organize and vote on platform amendments and resolutions supporting permanent ceasefire and Palestinian human rights.
WHEN: Sunday June 23rd from 9am to 4pm, the general session
WHO: Ceasefire Delegates, elected by their Legislative Districts (LDs) from across the state, are composed of both Uncommitted state delegates and Biden delegates who wish to see the Biden Administration change direction. We are a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith coalition including Palestinian leaders, state Democratic Party leaders and organizers, union leaders, members from the Muslim American community, members from the Jewish American community, veterans, anti-war activists, and other advocates for Palestinian human rights. We will vote this weekend to send a message to the Biden Administration and the Democratic Party that they must listen to their voting base, the vast majority of whom want to SEE, not just hear about, a ceasefire in Gaza.
WHERE: Meydenbauer Convention Center, 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004
WHY: President Biden is not listening to the American voters–including Arabs, Muslims, immigrants, people of color, and young voters–who helped him win in 2020, but who have spent months protesting his support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We want to send a clear message to the Biden Administration: the vast majority of Democratic voters want a ceasefire now, and he needs to listen to and heed the calls of his base. We believe the Biden Administration must stop funding war and genocide in Gaza, and must dramatically change U.S. policy regarding funding and support of Israel’s military operations.
Washington State has been a leader in the ceasefire movement since hostilities escalated in 2023, including almost 90,000 Uncommitted voters in the Democratic Presidential Primary in March 2024.
Washington cities (Bothell, Seattle, Bellingham, and Olympia), counties (Jefferson County and San Juan County), local Democratic Organizations (the 1st LD Democrats, the 32nd LD Democrats, the 44th LD Democrats, and the 43rd LD Democrats), as well as the Washington State Democratic Party itself, have all passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Thousands of Washington State citizens (including elected officials, faith leaders, and community organizers) and more than 100 local nonprofit organizations joined forces in mid-November to call for a ceasefire.
President Biden was a successful candidate in 2020 because he represented a broad coalition and worked to represent the values of communities of color, young voters, immigrant voters and more who turned out in record numbers to help him beat Trump. For the last several months, however, many of these voters have felt like their voices have not been heard by the Administration and they have turned to record-setting, pro-Palestine marches and rallies in order to make their support of Palestine and Palestinian rights known.
BACKGROUND: The vast majority of Democrats support a ceasefire in Gaza. According to a Data For Progress poll, 76% of Democratic voters and 61% of all likely voters support a ceasefire in Gaza. More than 100 ceasefire resolutions have been passed by city councils, county councils, local Democratic groups, and state Democratic parties across the United States.
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