East Palo Alto Council Lets Oct. 7 Remembrance Proclamation Fail on a 2-1 Vote

A proposed East Palo Alto proclamation marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel did not pass at Tuesday's City Council meeting, after a tense public comment period and a 2-1 vote that fell short of the three votes the city requires.

What was proposed

Mayor Webster Lincoln brought the "Day of Remembrance" proclamation, which would have recognized the victims of the attack, which killed about 1,200 people, on its third anniversary, Bay City News reported. Peninsula 360 Press said the text also expressed opposition to antisemitism, hate and violence. Lincoln told the council the proclamation was meant "out of respect for the victims."

A divided room

Speakers split sharply. Some thanked the mayor and said residents should stand with the Jewish community; others objected that the proclamation said nothing about Palestinians killed in the war that followed. Audience members held signs on both sides, according to Bay City News, including photos of Israelis killed on Oct. 7 and a "Free Palestine" poster.

Councilmember Carlos Romero voted no, saying the city should "recognize the grief on both sides" and that the council was not the right place for the measure. Councilmember Mark Dinan said he did not think the council should be weighing in on international issues and called such items a distraction from priorities like housing, but he ultimately voted yes along with Lincoln.

Why two votes weren't enough

Vice Mayor Ruben Abrica and Councilmember Martha Barragan were absent. East Palo Alto's municipal code requires a majority of the full five-member council for any action, even when members are missing, so the item needed three yes votes, according to both Bay City News and Palo Alto Online, which cited City Attorney John Le.

Palo Alto Online noted that neighboring Palo Alto has a policy barring council members from using their official positions to weigh in on foreign policy. At the same meeting, Peninsula 360 Press reported, the council unanimously proclaimed October 2026 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, highlighting the local nonprofit CORA.