CHICAGO (AP) — Crowds of activists began protesting outside on Chicago streets Monday. Democratic National ConventionThey hope to draw attention to issues such as economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza.
Protesters say plans haven’t changed since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and the party made a sudden retreat. Supporting Vice President Kamala Harrisis set to formally accept the Democratic nomination this week, and activists are ready to spread their progressive message in front of the nation’s top Democratic leaders.
Chicago leaders said they were committed to keeping the protests peaceful.
“The city of Chicago is really adept at this sort of thing,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said at a news conference. “We’re prepared.”
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Superintendent Larry Snelling praised police and protest organizers for Sunday night’s peaceful protest, saying officers are prepared to ensure protests remain peaceful throughout the week.
“Listen, this is simple: The Chicago Police Department exists to protect everyone in this city,” Snelling said. “What we don’t tolerate is intimidation. We don’t tolerate violence.”
A protester passes through a police cordon before the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Issues in the protests include climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, but many are calling for an immediate ceasefire. The war between Israel and Hamas The main message of the protests is likening the war to their generation’s Vietnam War.
The Chicago area is home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation, and buses are ferrying activists from across the U.S. Organizers said they expected at least 20,000 people to take part in a march and rally on Monday, the first day of the convention.
“We must do our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, end U.S. aid to Israel and stand with the Palestinians,” said Hatem Abdaye, spokesman for the March on the Democratic National Convention coalition.
The coalition is made up of hundreds of organizations, including students, and activists Lessons learned Coming off last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, they say they expect bigger crowds and more vigorous demonstrations in Chicago.
Pro-Palestinian supporters from across the country gathered at Union Park, on the west side of the Loop business district, on Monday morning ahead of a rally and march to the convention site near the United Center.
Taylor Cook, an organizer with the Freedom Road socialist organization, traveled from Atlanta for the march and said his organization is encouraging all Democrats to call for an end to aid for Israel, with a particular focus on Harris.
“We’re saying to Kamala, she’s complicit in this. People think it’s just about Joe Biden, but she’s the vice president,” Cook said. “So we’re saying if you want our votes, stop it.”
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As pro-Palestinian groups outlined their plans for the afternoon march, one counterprotester stood holding an American flag. Sean Campbell, 29, of Plano, Illinois, held up the flag while wearing a U.S. military cap. He said he planned to attend several pro-Palestinian events this week.
The first protest on Sunday night brought together activists calling for abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and an end to the war in Gaza. Chicago police said two people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting police and criminal damage to property.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who was being considered as Harris’ running mate, said peaceful protests were welcome.
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“There are many people in this chamber who believe some of that messaging and take it to heart,” Pritzker told The Associated Press in a recent interview, “but the point is, Democrats are not going to shut people out or prohibit them from expressing their First Amendment rights.”
But safety concerns remain for some, who worry that protests could become unpredictable or chaotic.
Chicago has hosted more political conventions than any other city in the United States. The infamous 1968 tournament Police and anti-Vietnam War protesters clashed violently on live television.
Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution, and the county courthouse said it would open up more space in preparation for mass arrests. Chicago Police said officers Has undergone extensive training On constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics.
Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protest and other plans. A judge ruled in favor of the city for a march route of about a mile (1.6 kilometers), but organizers argue it’s not long enough for the expected crowd. Abdaye said the coalition will continue to push for a longer route before the march starts on Monday.
Also on Monday, the Philadelphia-based economic justice group Poor People’s Army will gather in Humboldt Park on Chicago’s northwest side for an event with third-party candidates. Jill Stein and Cornel West, March another 3 miles (5 kilometers).
In addition to the protests, the city is also hosting a 45-minute speaking stage in the park outside the convention center. Most of the groups involved share the same progressive platform as the coalition, but the list also includes the Israeli American Council and the conservative-leaning Illinois Policy Institute. The local firefighters union also wants to draw attention to its contract battle with the city.
“The First Amendment is the bedrock of our democracy,” Johnson, a former labor union organizer, told The Associated Press in an interview last week. “I will do everything in my power to protect the right to assemble and protest.”
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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Lee Skeen contributed to this report.
