A local Advisory Neighborhood Commission is planning a vote on Wednesday for a resolution to designate the block of New Hampshire Avenue NW where the Saudi Arabian embassy sits as “Jamal Khashoggi Way,” after the journalist who U.S. intelligence concluded was assassinated at the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“Leaders at all levels of government need to stand up in whatever ways they can to support people,” says ANC Commissioner James Harnett, who represents 2A08, a part of Foggy Bottom populated largely by students of George Washington University. “This is about what this situation means for our community, for reporters, for students I represent studying journalism, for the nation, and for the world, given the lack of justified response from the White House.”

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor who had published criticisms of the Saudi government, was killed inside a Saudi consulate in Turkey in October by a 15-person team sent from Saudi Arabia, according to prosecutors in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. While the crown prince initially denied any high-level involvement in Khashoggi’s murder, the Saudi government has given contrary explanations for his death.

In a statement released last week, President Donald Trump said that, while the “crime against Jamal Khashoggi was a terrible one, and one that our country does not condone,” the U.S. “intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel, and all other partners in the region.” Germany, Finland, and Denmark have all halted future arms sales to the Saudis, citing Khashoggi’s killing as well as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Harnett says that, while ANC commissioners “don’t have the ability to levy sanctions or take national security actions against foreign countries,” they can initiate proposals for the D.C. Council to advance. This resolution would call for a symbolic designation of the block of New Hampshire Avenue NW between F Street and Virginia Avenue, similar to the D.C. Council’s decision in January to add a new ceremonial name to the block of Wisconsin Avenue in front of the Russian embassy for Boris Nemtsov, an outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who was killed in February 2015 outside the Kremlin. The Russian government has denied a role in his death.

“Whether it’s Russia assassinating its political dissidents, whether it’s Saudi Arabia, or other countries, we need to make sure we’re applying the rules with an even hand,” Harnett says. He and ANC 2A04 Commissioner William Kennedy Smith are co-introducing the measure.

When the city issues a ceremonial street name, the official address remains the same, but a street sign is typically erected that bears both names. That’s why you’ll find Ben’s Chili Bowl Way on the 1200 block of U Street, for example.

The resolution states that “the murder of any journalist is a direct affront to all others’ right to report the news without fear of reprisals and threats” and notes that “the threat of de-legitimacy and ‘fake news’ journalists face from our own government are disturbing and represent a clear danger to our democratic society.”

Harnett says the resolution was inspired by a Change.org petition, which has more than 7,000 signatures. It calls for a renamed street address “to be a daily reminder to Saudi officials that such behavior is totally unacceptable and as an expression of Washington’s unstinting support for freedom of the press.” While living in exile from Saudi Arabia, Khashoggi built a life in Northern Virginia.

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans has declined to comment on the resolution, though his office noted that, were it to pass, it would be considered during the council period that begins in January. Harnett says he hasn’t yet spoken to Evans’ staff about the measure, and plans to do so after the community has had an opportunity to discuss it. That conversation will happen during the ANC2A meeting on Wednesday at the West End Public Library, beginning at 7 p.m.

Harnett says he has spoken with his constituents about the resolution, and “the general consensus is that this is an interesting idea and one that should be pursued.”

This post has been updated to reflect William Kennedy Smith’s full name.