Chicago

For five days, Aug. 18-22, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was the target of daily demonstrations. On Aug. 18, the day before the DNC opened, the “March for Bodies Outside Unjust Laws” demanded the Democrats do more to defend and expand reproductive justice and LGBTQIA2S+ rights. The leading message, however, became one of solidarity with Palestine and demanding an end to the genocide.

The largest of many marches took place as the convention began Aug. 19. Called by the Coalition to March on the DNC and backed by over 270 Palestine solidarity, antiwar, community and labor organizations, the demonstration drew a militant crowd of over 20,000 people, according to organizers. Chants and signs addressed a range of issues, but the most popular signs bore the slogan, “Victory to the Palestinian resistance!”

Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, told the crowd during the rally held before the march that, “Black liberation, immigrant rights, reproductive rights, women’s rights, workers’ rights, the right to strike, the right to unionize” are here. “The rank-and-file workers are here, the Black community members are here, the documented and undocumented immigrants are here, how powerful this is to be together here, all of us. Killer Kamala, Genocide Joe, and Baby Killer Blinken and all the rest of the Democratic Party in there, we are not going to give them a pass.” (Fightbacknews.org, Aug. 21)

Protesters undeterred by cop repression

Activists from all over the country traveled by car, plane, train and chartered buses to attend this historic march, where they braved a massive police presence. As reported by Chicago TV Channel 7: “This [Aug. 19] operation offered a glimpse of what the police strategy is likely to be for keeping order at the permitted protests: Flood the protest route with shoulder-to-shoulder patrol officers and bike units, protect property on both sides of downtown streets, and roll out columns of city Streets and San[itation] snow plows as back-up for traffic and crowd control.” (abc7chicago.com)

Police arrested some demonstrators on Aug. 19 who tried to scale the fence separating the movement from the DNC. On Aug. 20 more people — 72 according to the National Lawyers Guild — were arrested at a pro-Palestine demonstration that began outside the Chicago Israeli consulate and later took to the streets.

Convention delegates demand Palestinian speaker

The genocide in Palestine, the primary issue for demonstrators outside the DNC, was also an issue inside the convention. Several dozen delegates represented the 800,000 voters in a number of states who cast an “uncommitted” or “undecided” ballot in Democratic Party primary elections. This was a means to express opposition to President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s genocide against Gaza.

When a few delegates unfurled a banner reading “Stop arming Israel,” they were physically assaulted and subject to chants of “USA, USA!”

The uncommitted delegates were joined by many pro-Harris delegates in demanding a Palestinian representative be allowed to speak at the convention. When this very modest request was denied, delegates held a sit-in outside the DNC. There was mass disgust at the Democratic Party machine. A group called Muslim Women for Harris/Walz disbanded in protest.

Marches continue up to close of the convention

The Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine held a march the third evening of the DNC. On the final day of the convention, as Vice President Kamala Harris was accepting the nomination as the Democratic Party presidential candidate, the Coalition to March on the DNC held another march and rally of over 10,000 supporters of Palestinian liberation.

Included among the many groups comprising the Coalition to March on the DNC were U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. Workers World Party took part in Coalition zoom meetings and sent a delegation to Chicago.

Workers World contributing editor Sara Flounders stated: “WWP took part in the demonstrations against the DNC in Chicago as we have always opposed both imperialist parties since our founding. This year both the DNC’s and RNC’s total support for Zionism and genocide in Gaza exposes their criminal role on a global scale. We salute the cohesion and determination of the Coalition in the mobilization of thousands of people for Palestine.”

The large actions showed that the Palestine solidarity movement understands the need to confront the Democratic Party regardless of who it puts forward as the presidential candidate.