Thousands of U.S. citizens expressed their displeasure at what they believe are misguided policies championed by the Biden-Harris administration on the opening days of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Several marches, demonstrations and forums were held by scores of organizations and coalitions from around the country and showcased American democracy in action.
While inside the United Center, delegates cheered for a successful defeat of former President Donald Trump’s “harmful agenda,” on the outside of the arena tens of thousands of people representing over 200 organizations called on the U.S. to end its own destructive policies.
The most vocal protests focused on the call for a ceasefire in Palestine and for U.S. sanctions to be lobbied against Israel for its repeated human rights violations, organizers said. Other protestors shared their concerns on the assault on women’s reproductive rights, police brutality and murder, and for an end to “extreme poverty” and homelessness among the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
“Today, over 40,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, two million have been displaced, and the entire Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubble,” said the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) in a statement. “Meanwhile, more and more horrific reports and videos show massacres, tortures, and rape. To date, the Democratic Party has not taken any concrete action to stop the worst catastrophe of the century.”
According to organizers, the demonstrators are comprised of “over 270 organizations from all across the U.S., composed of people of all ages and representing all sectors of the movement – including the fight for Black liberation, immigrant rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, worker’s rights, the environment,” among others.
“The Palestinians of Gaza are trying to survive a genocide, and the administration that supplies and gives Israel the green light to murder our people is celebrating in our city,” said Nesreen Hasan a coalition leader.
“Working and oppressed people have been ignored for too long in this country,” added Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of USPCN. “But we clearly see that, while there is a steady deterioration in our rights and living conditions here, the U.S. government – and particularly the Democratic Party – wholeheartedly send tens of billions of dollars to Israel to assist in its heinous genocide. We’re organizing to stop that.”
By mid-afternoon Monday, the peaceful gathering saw bouts of confrontation when masked demonstrators, without provocation, began tearing down a fence stationed by local police officers. Though they did not identify themselves, the men appeared to be young, white or Latino males. As the fencing gave way, Chicago cops donned light blue riot helmets, gas masks and brandished batons as they positioned themselves in a straight formation directly in front of the fence.
On Monday, Chicago Police Department (CPD) Superintendent Larry Snelling walked with a group of officers ahead of a group of marchers. Snelling later toward reporters’ officers were hit with water-filled bottles and other debris. A handful of individuals were allegedly detained, but no one was pepper sprayed or beaten, he said. At the Crusader press deadline, no other information about who was detained was provided.
As marches kicked off, protestors were trailed by officers riding bikes or on foot patrol. Some individuals appeared to stray from those demonstrations and headed elsewhere to be met by a tight security perimeter of gates and roadblocks. The agitators could not be heard from within the walls of the United Center, though they chanted loudly. As promised by city officials, a massive police presence of 17 police agencies, including CPD, the Illinois National Guard, state police, Homeland Security and FBI, served as a deterrent.
Days before the convention began, 65 legal organizations, lawyers and legal workers signed an open letter to Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson expressing their grave concerns about recent actions by the CPD and City of Chicago aimed at stopping protestors from demonstrating during the Democratic Convention.
Attorneys also took issue with the way in which CPD has violently addressed protestors seeking a ceasefire and justice in Palestine over the past year. “The coalition of attorneys are calling on the CPD and City of Chicago to respect demonstrators’ First Amendment rights during the convention. This includes but is not limited to allowing protestors to march, providing orders to disperse and giving demonstrators ample opportunities to leave before making arrests, as well as calling on the CPD to follow state law and their own policies to cite and release protestors, as opposed to arresting them,” the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago said through a statement.
The legal coalition also condemned the long history of police violence at other notable demonstrations in Chicago’s history, including the Democratic National Convention of 1968, the anti-Iraq war protest on March 20, 2003, the 2012 NATO summit, and throughout the 2020 summer of demonstrations in support of Black lives.
“We have organized ourselves as a legal community to demand the CPD and City respect people’s cherished First Amendment rights to speech and assembly,” said Nadia Woods, Community & Legal Education director at First Defense Legal Aid. “We do not want a repeat of the long history of violence and violations committed by the CPD over the last several decades”.
Though there were minor scuffles between citizens and law enforcement observed by Crusader reporting staff on two days of protests, no one appeared injured by police, nor did it appear any officer was harmed. In addition, there were no reports of any DNCC delegate, elected official or bystander being harmed. Meanwhile, demonstrators want to see a shift in U.S. policy.
“No matter where we live, the color of our skin, or how much money we have in our bank accounts, each of us deserves a safe, warm place to call home, the ability to put food on the table, and to know that no harm will come to us or our children,” shared Arielle Rebekah, a Jewish transgender activist and spokesperson for Jewish Voices for Peace Chicago. “But corrupt political leaders in the U.S. have continued to prioritize their political and financial interests in the Middle East over Palestinian lives, making it impossible for Palestinians—and anyone living in the Middle East—to be free or safe.”