Council Extends Session, Delays Gaza Divestment Vote

In this report: Key decisions · Full report · Sources

What happened

The Cambridge City Council held a public hearing on whether to divest roughly $28 million in city funds from companies linked to Israel's military operations in Gaza, with more than 350 residents commenting. After voting to extend the session past 10 p.m., the council closed testimony and voted to recess at 11:44 p.m. without voting on the divestment orders themselves, continuing them to a 9 a.m. session the next day.

Key decisions

• 📋 Gaza divestment policy orders. The council held a public hearing on Gaza divestment with more than 350 speakers but did not vote on the policy orders. The council voted to recess at 11:44 p.m. and continue the matter to 9 a.m. the next day, when the divestment vote and remaining agenda items would resume. (Vote 9 in the affirmative). Read case details
• 📜 Approval of consent agenda items. The council approved consent agenda items 1, 2, 3, and 6 through 11. (Vote 8 in the affirmative (Zusy recorded absent)). Read case details
• ● Item 4 referred to Public Safety Committee. Councillor Al-Zubi pulled item 4 from the consent agenda and referred it to the Public Safety Committee rather than proceeding with a staff presentation. Read case details
• 📜 Suspend rules to allow state rep speech. The council approved a suspension of its rules to allow state Rep. Mike Conley to address the body out of turn on the Gaza divestment orders and the Magazine Beach infrastructure project. (Vote unanimously). Read case details
• 📜 Extend meeting past 10 p.m. recess. The council voted to extend the session past its customary 10 p.m. recess to allow continued public comment on the Gaza divestment orders. (Vote 7-2). Read case details
• 📜 Close public comment period. The council voted to close the public comment period shortly before midnight, after extended testimony on the Gaza divestment orders. (Vote voice vote). Read case details

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Full meeting report

The complete, section-by-section account of the meeting, 2,159 words, for members.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript. It was corrected where it differed.