Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to gather outside the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, opposing the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel. The demonstrations pose a challenge to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination celebrations.
A coalition of primarily left-wing and Arab- and Muslim-American groups has organised two major protest marches.The first, set for Monday at noon, will take place ahead of President Biden’s evening appearance. The second is scheduled for Thursday at 5 pm, just before Harris delivers her acceptance speech.
“The Democratic Party is the target and not Joe Biden as an individual or Kamala Harris as an individual … She’s just as complicit as Biden is,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network, citing Harris’ opposition to an arms embargo on Israel as a sign of insincerity in her efforts to appear more “empathetic.”
“If Kamala Harris loses to [former President Donald] Trump, then they have nobody to blame but themselves. This is the Vietnam War of our generation,” Abudayyeh added.
Protesters are expected to camp out at Chicago’s Union Park, just a 10-minute walk from the United Center, which will serve as the main convention venue.
The protests were originally anticipated to draw massive crowds when Biden was the presumptive nominee. However, his decision to retire on July 21 and endorse Harris, 59, has introduced uncertainty regarding the scale of the protests, though organizers still expect tens of thousands of participants.
Biden has faced harsh criticism at previous large-scale protests, including one in November where demonstrators labeled him “Genocide Joe” and painted the White House’s gates red while chanting, “F–k Joe Biden.”
Harris, on the other hand, has largely addressed large rallies with minimal disruption in recent weeks. However, during an August 7 event in Detroit, protesters interrupted her with chants of “We won’t vote for genocide,” prompting a stern response from the Vice President: “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that,” followed by a cold stare and head-snap.
Harris’ reaction to the heckling received mixed responses on social media, with some praising her direct approach, while others criticized it as dismissive of the concerns of the communities the activists represent.
“People were very upset with that — because there’s an assumption that protests of the DNC, protests of Biden, protests of Harris mean that somehow our community and the other people protesting are supporting Trump, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Abudayyeh said.
Some protesters have even labeled Harris as “Killer Kamala.”
Despite the change in the Democratic ticket, Abudayyeh believes there won’t be much difference in the protests. The coalition has secured a permit to march within sight of the convention venue but is still dealing with last-minute issues, including whether they’ll be allowed to use a sound system and portable toilets in the park. They are also seeking approval for a longer march route.
A coalition of primarily left-wing and Arab- and Muslim-American groups has organised two major protest marches.The first, set for Monday at noon, will take place ahead of President Biden’s evening appearance. The second is scheduled for Thursday at 5 pm, just before Harris delivers her acceptance speech.
“The Democratic Party is the target and not Joe Biden as an individual or Kamala Harris as an individual … She’s just as complicit as Biden is,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network, citing Harris’ opposition to an arms embargo on Israel as a sign of insincerity in her efforts to appear more “empathetic.”
“If Kamala Harris loses to [former President Donald] Trump, then they have nobody to blame but themselves. This is the Vietnam War of our generation,” Abudayyeh added.
Protesters are expected to camp out at Chicago’s Union Park, just a 10-minute walk from the United Center, which will serve as the main convention venue.
The protests were originally anticipated to draw massive crowds when Biden was the presumptive nominee. However, his decision to retire on July 21 and endorse Harris, 59, has introduced uncertainty regarding the scale of the protests, though organizers still expect tens of thousands of participants.
Biden has faced harsh criticism at previous large-scale protests, including one in November where demonstrators labeled him “Genocide Joe” and painted the White House’s gates red while chanting, “F–k Joe Biden.”
Harris, on the other hand, has largely addressed large rallies with minimal disruption in recent weeks. However, during an August 7 event in Detroit, protesters interrupted her with chants of “We won’t vote for genocide,” prompting a stern response from the Vice President: “If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that,” followed by a cold stare and head-snap.
Harris’ reaction to the heckling received mixed responses on social media, with some praising her direct approach, while others criticized it as dismissive of the concerns of the communities the activists represent.
“People were very upset with that — because there’s an assumption that protests of the DNC, protests of Biden, protests of Harris mean that somehow our community and the other people protesting are supporting Trump, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Abudayyeh said.
Some protesters have even labeled Harris as “Killer Kamala.”
Despite the change in the Democratic ticket, Abudayyeh believes there won’t be much difference in the protests. The coalition has secured a permit to march within sight of the convention venue but is still dealing with last-minute issues, including whether they’ll be allowed to use a sound system and portable toilets in the park. They are also seeking approval for a longer march route.
