Pro-Palestinian voices protest and participate in DNC in Chicago

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are descending on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Monday, as they plan to protest the Biden administration's policy toward Israel and look to sway the party's platform. 

The 2024 DNC will go from Monday to Thursday, making history as Harris accepts the party's nomination to become the first Black and South Asian woman running for president. 

The stage was set for the big event to start Monday evening with President Joe Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Jill Biden as keynote speakers for the first night. But outside the United Center in Chicago where the convention is being held, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters will be on the outside, voicing their objections to Biden's record on the Gaza war. 

The protests that began on Sunday evening are led by the Coalition to March on the DNC, an alliance of pro-Palestinian, progressive and far-left groups that demands an end to US aid to Israel. The coalition will hold a rally in Chicago’s Union Park before marching toward the convention location on Monday, according to its website.

The Coalition to March on the DNC had considered a change in their confrontational approach toward the party after Harris announced her candidacy but decided against it, Politico reported on Sunday.

There are at least six major protests planned for the convention. Organizers are busing in protesters from across the country, according to the outlet.

Participation in the convention

Pro-Palestinian voices will also have a role within the Democratic Party at the convention. Thirty-six delegates out of a total of 3,939 in the party are part of the “uncommitted” movement of voters, The Associated Press reported on Saturday. The name refers to voters who voted “uncommitted” in the party primaries instead of President and then-nominee Joe Biden over his support for Israel in the Gaza war.

Harris campaign staffers held meetings with pro-Palestinian politicians and activists in the lead-up to the convention. The talks included a sit-down between Harris and Dearborn, Michigan, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud last week, according to the AP. Dearborn has the largest Arab American population of any US city.

Harris has endorsed Biden’s plan for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The vice president is seen by some observers as more critical of Israel than the president, though she has not endorsed the protesters’ demand of an arms embargo on Israel.

The Arab American Institute is co-sponsoring an event in solidarity with the Palestinians on the sidelines of the DNC Monday. The list of speakers includes activist Omar Baddar and former Michigan Congressman Andy Levin, according to a post on X from the institute.

The protests have evoked comparisons to the unrest at the 1968 convention, also held in Chicago, where anti-Vietnam war protesters clashed with police. Some Democratic politicians are reportedly concerned for their safety this week. Axios reported on Friday that congressional security officials advised House Democrats not to book hotels under their own names and to avoid interacting with protesters if confronted.

The Biden administration voiced some optimism on Friday after the latest Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Doha, although an agreement has yet to be reached.