Chicago, Illinois – “The question of opposing Israel’s war in Gaza is not complicated. Are we for the mass killings of babies, or are we against it?” asked Rich Barnes while holding Palestinian and Irish flags near the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday. Barnes was part of thousands of demonstrators who filled the grass in Union Park, just blocks away from the convention, demanding an end to US support for Israel’s military actions.
As Democrats gathered at the convention to present Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate, several advocates for Palestinian rights told Al Jazeera that they would not vote for Harris unless she supports an arms embargo against Israel. The demonstration, dubbed the “March on the DNC,” also called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. “I am concerned because I feel that there won’t be any significant change with her,” said Barnes. “We are trying to apply as much pressure as possible from the left to say: ‘Listen, you cannot expect our vote.'”
Demonstrators carried signs linking Harris and President Joe Biden to what they describe as atrocities amounting to genocide: an attempt to eradicate the Palestinian people through bombing and starvation. One sign read, “Both Democrats and Republicans have blood on their hands,” while another stated, “No votes for Kamala until there is an arms embargo against Israel.”
The DNC began Monday as thousands of Democratic officials, operatives, and support communities flooded into Chicago to celebrate Harris’ nomination ahead of the presidential election in November. Harris, chosen to succeed Biden at the helm of the Democratic Party, is set to accept the party’s nomination on Thursday, the fourth day of the event.
However, the protests at the convention were organized with the assumption that Biden—a staunch supporter of Israel who has led efforts to support the war in Gaza—would be the nominee. He withdrew from the race on July 21 amid concerns about his age and ability to lead.
For many demonstrators, the new Democratic nominee does not change much. Their message to the Democratic Party remains the same: it must listen to the millions of voters who want an end to the US-supported human rights violations against Palestinians. While Harris has acknowledged Palestinian suffering in Gaza, the Democratic nominee has not promised any concrete policy changes regarding the issue.
Amal Jaber, a teacher who drove from Wisconsin to participate in Monday’s protest, dismissed Harris’ claimed empathy for Palestinians as “superficial.” “We need to see action,” Jaber told Al Jazeera. “Palestinians are still being killed today. Unless we see real change, I do not see the Muslim community in Wisconsin supporting Kamala Harris right now. Enough is enough.”
The US has provided Israel with military support and billions of dollars in aid to back its war against Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians. Biden, who identifies as a Zionist, has been an unyielding supporter of Israel. Vice Presidents typically do not dictate foreign policy, but the White House has stated that Harris has been a “full partner” in overseeing the US approach to Gaza.
Last month, after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris described the war as “devastating.” “We must not allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering, and I will not be silent,” she told the press. Nevertheless, the Vice President has indicated through her advisers that she does not support an arms embargo against Israel, disappointing many anti-war demonstrators’ hopes.
At the protest in Chicago, one demonstrator held a sign reading, “DNC = Decades Without Change.” “There has been no change. There are no reforms from the murderous system. And the answer is to abandon the empire,” said Tina, who wished to be identified only by her first name. She added that Harris’ expression of sympathy for Palestinians means nothing without a change in policy—“not at all.”
Protests related to Gaza are expected to continue throughout the week until the convention concludes on Thursday. Chicago, which has a long history of political activism, hosts one of the largest Palestinian communities in the US. A masked protester, wishing to remain anonymous, told Al Jazeera that they found it inconsistent for Democrats to hold their convention in Chicago, the largest American city to adopt a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. “It feels like an insult that Democrats are currently financing this genocide, yet they chose to come here,” the protester stated. “But it also feels right that we hold this rally here and have the opportunity to show ourselves.”
Inside the Democratic National Convention, the anti-war movement will also be represented by many “unwilling” delegates. They represent the hundreds of thousands of voters who cast “unwilling” votes in the Democratic primaries to protest Biden’s Gaza policies. “We need change in Gaza policy. We need a ceasefire,” said Abbas Alawieh, an “unwilling” delegate from Michigan, to reporters at a press conference early Monday. “We must stop sending weapons that are used to kill families, kill the people we love, kill civilians in Gaza, and maintain a suffocating occupation of Palestinian land and people.”
Back at the protest, demonstrators warned Harris that they—and their demands—would not be easily dismissed. “This is not going away,” said Kwabena Ampofo, a veteran of the US military. “What you see right now is not just a media moment. This is an issue that—I have never seen in my nearly 30 years of life—transcends so many people’s lives.”