DNC Protesters March to Oppose War in Gaza for Final Day of Convention

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered downtown for the final day of the Democratic National Convention August 22 to call for the U.S. to end military support for Israel and its continuing attacks in Gaza.

The event began at Union Park, on Chicago’s Near West Side, where organizers gave speeches to the crowd before the group began the half-mile march to the United Center.

March on the DNC, the organization who planned the demonstrations, said in a press conference they hope the U.S. will stop the flow of money and aid to Israel and instead use those funds to support things such as public schools, reproductive healthcare, the LGBTQ community and immigrant rights. 

“When it comes to Biden, Harris, the Democrats and anyone that opposes our demands, we know where they stand morally,” a speaker at the protest said to the crowd. “Supporting war massacres — and are complicit in genocide.”

Demonstrators repeatedly emphasized their disappointment in the Democratic Party for it’s continued support and aid to Israel, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, nicknamed “Genocide Joe” and “Killer Kamala,” respectively.

A few speakers inside the DNC made references to the pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside of the United Center, including President Joe Biden, Presidential Candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“Those protesters out in the street, they have a point,” President Biden said in his speech Aug. 19. “A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”

Vice President Harris followed up on President Biden’s remarks during her Aug. 22 speech.

“With respect to the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” Vice President Harris said. “President Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.”

The State Department approved an additional $20 billion Aug. 14 in weapon sales to Israel, according to AP. These weapons aren’t expected to become accessible to Israel until 2026, and the aid is intended for long term military capabilities.

Following a number of speeches given at Union Park, the group of demonstrators marched to finish their protest outside of the United Center for the last couple hours of the DNC.

Signs made by the organizers were given out, and they began to repeat chants such as “DNC, we know you, you have blood on your hands too,” and “Free the prisoners, free them all, brick by brick, wall by wall.”

Organizers emphasized time is of the essence, stating too much time has already passed while waiting for a ceasefire or the end of U.S. aid to Israel. 

“If the Democrats and Kamala Harris don’t do something or say something different, they are going to lose,” an organizer said. “When they lose that election, they better not come and say that the Palestinians are responsible, or that our mass movement is responsible. The only people that are responsible are the people who are complicit in the murder of 40,000 Palestinians.”

Diesel Armstrong, a 21-year-old protester, said he felt the need to attend the event as a way to show his support for the people affected by the war in Gaza. He said he would love to see a world where the U.S. stops funding Israel.

“I think we need to absolutely cut ties with them,” Armstrong said. “We need to let the Palestinians have their land. For them to be able to exist and for Israel to be able to exist and just be separate, and to stop the merciless killing of the Palestinian people. To see such loss of life on such a big scale is terrible and I think that needs to end.”

Younger people are an important part of movements like this, Armstrong said. 

“Young people play a huge role, mostly because we have a lot of energy,” Armstrong said. “I think we’re the next generation, we’re the next ones going into office, going into those positions. So I think it’s important that we get out here and make our voice known and try to make changes that we want to see not only for us but for the generations ahead.”

Armstrong said he isn’t yet sure what role participating in the DNC protests will play in his decision on who to vote for, but he thinks it’s important to emphasize the importance of voting no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on. 

“It’s a very important issue and I get why it weighs heavily on a lot of people,” Armstrong said. “Go vote. Young people, please go vote. I don’t care who you vote for. It’s none of my business, but it’s your right that I think everyone should use so go vote.”

Dr. Tammy Abughnaim, an emergency physician based in Chicago, who said she’s visited Gaza twice in the last six months, spoke about her experience providing medical aid in the areas affected by Israel’s military actions during a press conference.

Abughnaim said she’s one of the few humanitarian aid workers permitted within the borders of Gaza, and she only returned to Chicago a couple of days before the end of the DNC. 

“I have had a front row seat into the violence that Israel is enacting over thousands of civilians in Gaza,” Abughnaim said. “I specifically want to mention the crime that I have seen. Crimes against children. Crimes against civilians.” 

Abughnaim specifically shared the stories of three patients. She said she treated a 19-month-old girl who was shot in the leg while she was playing outside of her family’s tent, a pre-teen boy who was shot through the left side of his chest and a 19-year-old male who sustained a shot to the right side of his chest after being used as a human shield by the Israeli Army. 

Abughnaim said all of these injuries were the result of a single shot, which she believed meant the wounds were deliberate and targeted by the IDF. 

The Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel marked the beginning of the current conflict, according to the Associated Press. The conflict in Gaza has been ongoing for 11 months. The death toll surpassed 40,000 people as of Aug. 15, according to AP. 59% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed. 

“There is no safe zone in Gaza,” Abughnaim said. “It is obvious and it is clear and it has been clear for the last 10 months that Israel is using U.S. made weapons to target civilians.”

While gathering in Union Park, some counter-protesters shared a variety of opposing messages, including some in support of U.S. support for Israel.

Counter-protesters stood close by the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, shouting and holding posters for their various viewpoints including the benefits of a communist government and America-first slogans. 

A few minutes after 4 p.m., former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made an appearance to meet with protesters. When one organizer noticed Ramaswamy had showed up, he confronted him about his presence. 

“You have no right to be here if you are not in support of the Palestinian people,” the organizer said to Ramaswamy. “If you are not going to call for the end of a genocide, an end to the killing and end to the support of Israel, then you should take off. We don’t want you here. You are not welcome here.”

As their conversation became more heated, Ramaswamy began to walk away from the park, but demonstrators followed behind him and partially flooded the streets, chanting “Racists go home.” The Chicago Police Department became involved at this point, attempting to keep protesters off the streets and away from oncoming traffic.

The organizers of the protest emphasized multiple times they had no association with CPD or any other law enforcement at the event. They said they had their own form of protection through a safety team made up of volunteers wearing work vests, who created human barriers between the pro-Palestinian demonstrators and counter-protesters during speeches. 

The largest in the string of protests took place Aug. 19, which marked the first day of the convention. A majority of news outlets estimated the attendance from the first day at around several thousand people, while organizers of the protest claimed during the press conference to have estimated 20,000 demonstrators. 

Some protesters broke through the security barriers Monday outside of the United Center where the convention was hosted, and dozens of them were arrested, AP previously reported.