Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicked off this week, demanding that the Biden administration end its unconditional military support for Israel amid the ongoing assault on Gaza. The protest, which began in Union Park and made its way to the United Center where the convention is being held, reflected the deepening frustration among many within the Democratic Party’s base over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Carrying signs and banners reading “End State Violence From Chicago to Gaza” and “Dems’ Silence = Israel’s Violence,” the demonstrators called on Vice President Kamala Harris to take a bold stance against the continued U.S. military aid to Israel, a country accused of committing war crimes and human rights violations in Gaza. Organizers of the protest, including Jewish Voice for Peace and the Uncommitted movement, had hoped to draw 15,000 people to the streets. While the actual turnout was slightly lower, the message was clear: the Democratic Party’s leadership can no longer ignore the growing demand for a shift in U.S. policy toward Israel.
The protest came at a time when the Gaza conflict has entered its tenth month, with the death toll continuing to rise. Protesters emphasized the moral and political urgency of their demands, arguing that the U.S.’s continued military support for Israel makes it complicit in the violence. “For Palestinian Americans, this is a fundamental issue,” said sociologist Eman Abdelhadi at the march. “We have spent 10 months watching our people die every day, and to ask us to simply just wait and hope that some change will happen… It’s just offensive and it’s completely insensitive.”
Vice President Harris, who is expected to formally accept the Democratic nomination this week, has faced increasing pressure from activists and progressive groups to distance herself from the Biden administration’s stance on Israel. While Harris initially indicated a willingness to discuss the possibility of an arms embargo on Israel earlier this month, a top adviser later clarified that she does not support ending weapons transfers to the country. This reversal has only intensified the frustration among activists, who see the administration’s position as out of step with the values of the party’s base.
Journalist Mehdi Hasan, writing in The Guardian, warned that Harris should view the demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo as both a moral imperative and a politically advantageous move. “Biden may want to continue sending more and more weapons to an Israeli government accused of war crimes at the international criminal court and of genocide at the international court of justice,” Hasan wrote, “but Harris should take a different stance—a bolder stance, a stance that is more in line with her party’s base, as well as with the American public at large.”
The protest also highlighted the tensions between the demonstrators and law enforcement. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling had previously made comments that protesters perceived as intimidating, warning of arrests and a strong police presence. As the march progressed, several protesters broke through a security fence near the United Center, leading to clashes with police. Although the situation was eventually de-escalated without the use of batons or chemical agents, the incident underscored the fraught relationship between activists and the authorities.
Despite these challenges, the protest remained largely peaceful, with families, students, and activists from across the country joining the march. Chants of “Biden, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide” and “Genocide Joe” reverberated through the crowd, reflecting the anger and frustration felt by many toward the administration’s handling of the Gaza conflict. For many protesters, the event was a chance to voice their opposition to a policy they see as morally indefensible and politically untenable.
Cameron Benrud, a 25-year-old special education teacher from Minneapolis, traveled five hours to attend the rally. “People are dying,” Benrud said. “I’m from little old Minnesota, and you feel kind of powerless… You gotta do something.” This sentiment was echoed by Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, who emphasized the need to hold all Democrats accountable, particularly Harris, for their role in supporting Israel’s military actions. “We’re saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think it’s just Joe Biden, but she is vice president,” Cook said. “So we’re saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.”
The protest also drew criticism from a small group of pro-Israel demonstrators who attended the rally to express their support for Israel. Josh Weiner, co-founder of the Chicago Jewish Alliance, argued that the pro-Palestine protesters had been given preferential treatment by the city, which he claimed had denied permits for pro-Israel demonstrations. However, tensions between the two groups remained relatively subdued, with no physical altercations reported.
As the DNC continues, the protest serves as a stark reminder of the growing divide within the Democratic Party over U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel and Palestine. With the 2024 election approaching, the party’s leadership will need to navigate these internal tensions carefully, balancing the demands of a more progressive base with the realities of international diplomacy.
Medea Benjamin, a long-time peace activist and co-founder of Code Pink, criticized the Biden administration’s recent approval of an additional $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel. “There’s an incredible discrepancy in what people are calling for in this country and what the administration is doing,” she said. “We’re so disgusted by this.”
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