Hayward councilmember who led Israel divestment, worries about Biden not changing course on Gaza

Hayward Councilmember George Syrop: “I just want peace in Hayward and Palestine.” Plus, an Alameda County elected official unequivocally supports recalling DA Pamela Price

Hayward Councilmember George Syrop led the surprising action in January to clear the city’s investments in four companies doing business with Israel.

CITY NEWS

HAYWARD

—AHEAD OF THE CURVE—Back in January, when residents in other East Bay cities were clamoring for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Hayward Councilmember George Syrop, backed by a grassroots community group, pushed for the city to divest from four companies with ties to Israel and its occupation of Palestine.

—Syrop, along with three other Hayward councilmembers narrowly approved the direction to divest on Jan. 25.

—It was a startling move by a council that has traditionally avoid taking the lead on controversial issues, let alone, distinctly progressive ideas like divestment of Israel

—In fact, the decision caught many flat-footed, including two Hayward councilmembers who appeared to walk back their support of divestment in a city press release two days later.

—In the three months that have passed since Hayward’s move to divestment from Israel, the issue has taken center stage at universities across the country.

—In an interview, Syrop called the Gaza issue the “moral question of our time.”

On campus protests:

• Seeing universities use law enforcement to suppress the protesters “validated my understanding of how politics works.”

• “It’s violence by law enforcement being called in by the universities,” not the largely peaceful demonstrations at campuses across the country, he said.

• Since the council’s move to divest, Syrop said, there have been no protests at City Hall or at any of the city’s institutions of learning. “It shows the good that happens when elected officials are responsive to the community.”

Thought process before January divestment vote:

• The use of taxpayers money to pay for weapons to oppress people underpinned the strategy for divestment, he said.

• “It’s about ending genocide,” said Syrop. With the divestment strategy, “I was looking for a material impact.”

• Syrop added, “I just want peace in Hayward and Palestine.”

Aftermath of council’s divestment vote:

• The council was merely “following a legacy” of divestment that started in the 1980s in Hayward with Apartheid in South Africa, Syrop said.

• “I struggle with the amnesia that everyone has with divestment. It was the tool that led to the end of Apartheid.”

• Syrop said the movement has slowly departed away from calls for ceasefire resolutions and is now focusing on divestment.

On Biden and the presidential election:

• As for November, Syrop said “I worry about President Biden not changing course” on the issue of Gaza.

• If voters energized by the Gaza issue don’t support Biden in the fall, Syrop said, “It’s not anybody else’s fault but the Democratic establishment and the president.”

---

MORE INSIDE:

• CITY NEWS: Art installation to honor victim of San Leandro police killing

• Oakland’s pair of radical election reforms receive funding

• Will a drone help Alameda suppress growing number of sideshows?

• COUNTY NEWS: Elected official issues support for Price recall

• Ordinance to fight illegal contaminated soils dumping needs tweaking

—411 ON THE 510—Subscribe today to receive all the East Bay political news in your inbox every weekday morning at 6 a.m. It’s what the insiders read.