MONTAGUE — The 94 voters in attendance at Wednesday’s three-and-a-half-hour Special Town Meeting voted to declare Montague an apartheid-free community as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The apartheid-free community resolution, which was approved by a majority vote, declares that Montague recognizes the equal rights of all people and stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine, who are facing “discriminatory legal regimes, forced displacement, movement restrictions and systematic human rights abuses” by the government of Israel. This constitutes an apartheid, per assessment by legal scholars.

The measure is nonbinding and represents the desire of Montague residents to “build an apartheid-free world, starting with our own community.” The resolution’s adoption will be sent to Gov. Maura Healey’s office and the state Legislature through the Select board.

The resolution was placed on the warrant through a citizen’s petition after receiving more than 100 signatures from residents. The language follows a pledge by the Apartheid-Free Communities network. The local chapter of the network, Apartheid-Free Western Massachusetts, helped garner support for the measure. This adoption marks the first time a Massachusetts municipality has approved this specific pledge, joining other communities in Vermont and Canada.

“This resolution is about human lives. The resolution is about humanizing the Palestinian people. This resolution is an invitation for all of us to come together out of isolation and reaffirm fundamental care for one another,” Town Meeting member Maddox Sprengel said.

-By Erin-Leigh Hoffman STAFF WRITER at the Montague Recorder