On the day California lawmakers returned to Sacramento for the new year, hundreds of protesters gathered at the Capitol

on

On Wednesday, the Assembly closed with calls for Israel to end its war against Hamas.

Lawmakers left the chamber as at least 250 protesters chanted: “Cease fire now.” As they filled the Capitol rotunda, demonstrators unfurled a banner reading “No US Funding for the Israeli Genocide in Palestine” and made paper flowers depicting the

more than 22,000 approximately 30,000

Palestinians have been killed in the war that started after Hamas attacked Israel on October 11. On September 7, about 1,200 people were killed and 240 others were taken hostage.

“We hear them, we support them, but we have to make sure the legislative business for the entire state of California gets done,” Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson) said as protesters’ chants echoed through the halls.

“It just stopped what we needed to do,” he said.

Across the Capitol, the Senate continued its normal business above the noise of shouting protesters outside the chamber. Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Los Angeles that day to promote his ballot measure to fund mental health care and a new research center at UCLA.

Wednesday’s protests complicated the politics of the war in California’s Capitol, which was silent as the Legislature was on recess for the elections.

case case.

The US response to the war has created a generational divide in the California electorate and a schism among Democrats, while polls show that California Republicans largely want the US to support Israel.

Also on Wednesday, Assembly Republicans introduced a resolution condemning Hamas, and the Legislature’s Jewish Caucus sent a seven-page letter to enact legislation describing a dire sense of fear among Jewish Californians amid of an “explosion of hatred directed against our community”.

The letter asked legislative leaders to form a special commission on anti-Semitism in California. It also called for legislation to address “the toxic anti-Jewish environment” on some public college campuses, proposed legislation that would enshrine Holocaust education in public schools and proposed expanding a grant program that helps institutions

–

hate crime risk paying for security upgrades.

‘I think there are a lot of people

in

our community that feels caught between the far right and the far left,” said Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel

,

(D-Encino), caucus co-chair.

Although America’s far right and far left see each other as existential threats to everything they hold dear and sacred, the only thing they seem to agree on is that Jews are uniquely evil, and that Jews are responsible for the disasters in America. world. problems,” Gabriel said.

As Gabriel and Jewish caucus co-chair Sen. Scott Wiener addressed reporters in a Capitol hallway, protesters in the rotunda chanted: Scott Wiener, you can’t hide, we accuse you of genocide.

“That’s disgusting and wrong,” Wiener said. “Apparently supporting Israel’s existence is enough to say we support genocide, and that is really problematic.”

The protest was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. Organizers said between 400 and 500 people attended, about half of whom are Jewish.

Jennifer Esteen, a nurse running for Alameda County

board of supervisors board of supervisors,

took part in the protest and called on state lawmakers to issue a resolution to establish a

ceasefire ceasefire.

These decisions we can make here in California will absolutely change federal policy, Esteen said as organizers sang: Free Palestine.

California leads the way as the

legislature

of the world’s fourth largest economy is paying attention and making a statement: she will lead this country.

The demonstration ended peacefully after about two hours. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (Yuba City) released a statement criticizing “pro-Hamas radicals” for “shouting down government actions and silencing people.”

“We must stand against this extremism,” Gallagher said. “People have the right to protest, but they do not have the right to stop elected representatives from doing the people’s business.