SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) 鈥 Hundreds of protesters calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war interrupted the first day of California's legislative session on Wednesday, forcing the state Assembly to adjourn moments after convening.
Lawmakers had just listened to the opening prayer and said the Pledge of Allegiance when protesters wearing matching black t-shirts stood from their seats and started singing 鈥淐ease-fire now" and 鈥淟et Gaza live.鈥
A few people unfurled banners from the chamber's gallery that read: 鈥淛ews say never again for anyone.鈥
At first, Jim Wood, a Democratic assemblymember from Healdsburg who was presiding over the session, tried to continue the session despite the singing. Eventually he called for a recess and adjourned a few minutes later.
Nearly all of the lawmakers left the floor. Protesters cheered when officials turned off the lights in the chamber, holding up the flashlights on their phones as they continued to sing, which included a lengthy call-and-response chant from the gallery.
鈥淲e are Jews and Californians, Assembly members, we call on you to join us in demanding a cease-fire now,鈥 they said.
Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said he supports First Amendment rights, but added 鈥渢he only real impact from today's protest is that the Legislature was prevented from doing the people's work.鈥
鈥淭housands of groups come to the Capitol every year to express their diverse viewpoints, but their free-speech actions do not impede the Legislature鈥檚 work,鈥 he said. "While this is a tense and difficult moment for communities in California and across the world, our job in the Legislature is to stay focused on the issues we can affect here in our state.鈥
Wednesday鈥檚 protest was organized by groups including , IfNotNow and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. Binya K贸atz, a Jewish teacher and artist who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, said Americans have 鈥渘ot only the right but the responsibility to stop business as usual as long as our country is giving a blank check to Israel.鈥
K贸atz said the groups chose to protest at the California Legislature because, while those lawmakers do not control federal money sent to Israel, 鈥渨e know that state Legislatures have the ear of their national counterparts in California and that getting this body to call for a cease-fire now can put California at the forefront of the national movement.鈥
It's not the first time that protesters calling for a cease-fire have disrupted events in California's capital city. In November, protesters forced their way inside a Sacramento convention hall and prompted the California Democratic Party to during their nominating convention. And last month, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ceremony after protesters planned an action at the event.
Protesters did not disrupt the state Senate, which held its session as scheduled and included lawmakers giving speeches in memory of former U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who
Across the country, it was a day of disruptions at state capitols. A bomb threat emailed to officials in multiple states of statehouse offices or buildings in Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana. Other states 鈥 including Missouri, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Wyoming 鈥 received threats but did not evacuate. The brief email threat made no mention of a motive and did not reference the Israel-Hamas war.
California鈥檚 legislative session, which runs through Aug. 31, is expected to be dominated by decisions on artificial intelligence and the massive budget deficit. But as Wednesday鈥檚 protest showed, ongoing fallout from the Israel-Hamas war and its will likely have an impact.
The California Legislative Jewish Caucus sent a letter to state lawmakers on Wednesday, calling for the creation of a committee to explore policy changes to protect the Jewish community.
鈥淲e have our own criticisms of Israel. We want the war to end,鈥 said Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener of the Jewish caucus. 鈥淲e also know the cease-fire resolutions we see at the local level have at times gone off the rails in terms of dredging up a lot of anti-Jewish hate and that causes a lot of fear in our community.鈥
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said his 3-year-old child now has to walk through metal detectors to enter his preschool at a local synagogue.
鈥淭he level of fear and anxiety and tension is unlike anything I have ever seen in my lifetime,鈥 Gabriel said.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return to the chamber on Thursday morning. But the bulk of their work will come later, after the governor reveals his plan for how to cover 鈥 a shortfall that is larger than the entire operating budgets of many states.
And with many California companies at the forefront of the artificial intelligence boom, a number of state lawmakers are eyeing ways to govern use of the technology before it dominates daily life 鈥 much like social media.
State Sen. Steve Padilla proposed a measure Wednesday to require California to establish safety, privacy, and nondiscrimination standards around generative AI tools and services. Those standards would eventually be used as qualifications in future state contracts. He also introduced a plan to create a state-run research center to further study the technology.
Assemblymember Akilah Weber said she鈥檒l try to tackle 鈥渄eepfakes鈥 through a bill that would require labeling on AI-generated content.
