On Wednesday night, the Chapel Hill Town Council heard public comment from community members in support of and in opposition to the Town's Wednesday decision to remove an art installation at the Peace and Justice Plaza, following concerns about the banner's connection to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The banner, titled "The Power of Good Trouble,” featured a depiction of a person wearing a keffiyeh scarf.
What’s new?
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More than 40 community members attended the meeting wearing keffiyehs and many spoke during public comment to express disappointment in the Town’s decision to remove the art.
- "The keffiyeh, one of which I'm wearing right here, is a scarf that is traditionally worn throughout west Asia has become a popular symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israel's apartheid regime and now against its genocide in Gaza," community member Mary Proust said.
- Less than 10 community members in support of removing the art attended. During public comment, they said the art symbolized terrorism and praised the Town’s decision.
- "Thank you for taking the time to understand the antisemitism inherent in the Chapel Hill banner. Aside from the appropriation of poppies, the 1964-style keffiyeh scarf on the banner symbolizes support for terrorism, specifically violence aimed at Jewish civilians," community member Amy Rosenthal said.
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Mayor Jess Anderson called a five minute recess during public comment due to community members speaking out of turn.
- When Mayor Anderson announced that public comment would cease due to time constraints, community members attempted to address the council and could be heard chanting outside the chamber.
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Council member Paris Miller-Foushee said she was in support of the council issuing a cease-fire resolution and expressed that she wanted the art to remain.
- She encouraged the community to research the history of protest in Chapel Hill, which the art was intended to honor.
- Council member Elizabeth Sharp said she hears both sides of the issue, and read her email response to around 800 Jewish community members that contacted the Town with concerns about the art.
- Council member Theodore Nollert said he thinks the Town’s art selection process is adequate and should be relied on.
- "I have concerns about the transparency of how these decisions were made," Mayor Anderson said. "I think there's work to do on how we make sure that nobody feels the way they do tonight."
- Mayor Anderson said Town Manager Chris Blue has announced his retirement.
- The council heard a proposal from Town staff to disband nine advisory boards and rely instead on staff-led equitable management and issue-oriented task forces, citing a lack of community engagement and equity in the advisory board staffing
- Community members, including members of some advisory boards, expressed that the council should work to make the advisory boards more equitable rather than disband them.
- Council member Melissa McCullough said she wanted to clarify that public engagement with Town staff would be supplemented if the advisory boards were disbanded.
- Town staff presented updates to the Town’s Land Use Management Ordinance for the council to review and provide feedback.
- The proposed updates would give the Board of Adjustment authority to review special use permits, eliminate concept plans reviews and shift responsibility for most administrative land use decisions to Town staff.
- Council member Karen Stegman said she agreed with the updates to administrative land use decisions and the elimination of concept plan reviews but is worried about increased costs for homeowners and residents.
- "What I am understanding, is that we're not changing permissions, we're just changing the cost to the homeowner," she said.
- Council member Adam Searing said he supported most of the updates, but said he would like to keep the concept plan reviews.
What decisions were made?
- The council voted 8-1 to dissolve the Community Policing Advisory Committee.
- The council voted 5-4 to adopt an ordinance to repeal sections of the Town code establishing the advisory boards, but due to a small margin, the Town attorney said they will hold a recount next meeting.
What’s next?
- The council will meet again on Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Town Hall.
