Thousands March in Chicago Against Gaza War at Democratic Party Convention

(Patria) - Thousands of mostly peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Chicago on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday, showing anger against the Biden administration's support for Israel in the Gaza war, Reuters reported.

After several hours of peaceful demonstrations, dozens of protesters breached a section of the security fence along the perimeter, drawing riot police to the scene. The DNC security team confirmed that protesters breached a section of the fence on the outer perimeter near the convention arena, but said law enforcement personnel responded quickly and there was no threat to those present.

Reuters witnesses saw four people being taken into custody and handcuffed. Chicago police confirmed at a press conference that arrests were made, but did not specify how many.

Chanting intensified ahead of the fence breach, as protesters reached a park in a neighborhood on Chicago's West Side and paused to amplify their calls for a ceasefire. Amid the noise, the crowd turned its frustration toward Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her "Killer Kamala."

Police formed a perimeter around the park to contain the protesters.
The umbrella group "March on the DNC" drew fewer supporters than expected in front of the convention arena, several hours before President Joe Biden was scheduled to address the gathering.

They began a one-mile march near the site where Democratic delegates will nominate Harris as the candidate to face Republican Donald Trump in the November election.

Organizers expected tens of thousands of protesters, enough to fill the park and the march, said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the "March on the DNC," early Monday. However, by the afternoon, several thousand protesters had gathered for speeches, and the park was only half full.

The coalition of more than 200 groups includes those advocating for various causes, from reproductive rights to racial justice. Many people came from Palestinian and Arab communities in Illinois and neighboring states, organizers said last week.

Dozens of Muslim delegates and their allies, angered by U.S. support for Israel's offensive in Gaza, are seeking changes to the Democratic platform and plan to push for an arms embargo, putting the party on alert for disruptions of high-profile speeches at the convention.

Roman Fritz, who is nineteen years old, one of the youngest delegates from Wisconsin, wore a scarf imprinted with the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh pattern. He said he supports Harris as the party's candidate to defeat Trump.

Some protesters doubted the party would change its platform.

"That will never happen," said Mwalimu Sundiata Keita, who traveled from Cincinnati, Ohio to join the protest. "The party's policy is to support Israel, and until that policy changes, that's how it will be."

A new major protest is scheduled for Thursday, when Harris is expected to formally accept the nomination. Pro-Palestinian groups have been protesting for months against the Biden administration's military and financial support for Israel in its war against Hamas, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel launched the offensive after being attacked by Hamas on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.

Protests grew on U.S. college campuses in the spring, with police clearing student encampments, occasionally after clashes between protesters and counter-protesters.

"The Democrats are in power," Abudayyeh said on Monday. "This is their war. They are responsible for it, they are complicit, and they can stop it."