CHICAGO– Crowds of activists are expected to gather in Chicago for protests outside the Democratic National Convention this week, hoping to draw attention to issues such as economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza.
While Vice President Kamala Harris has galvanized As the party prepares to accept the Democratic nomination, activists say their plans to protest have not changed. They are ready to amplify their progressive message before the country’s top Democratic leaders.
Their issues include climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, but many activists agree on an immediate ceasefire in the War between Israel and Hamas is the overarching message of the demonstrations. They have compared it to their generation’s Vietnam War. The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the country, and buses bring activists from all over the country to Chicago. Organizers estimate at least 20,000 people will turn out for Monday’s march and rally, the first day of the convention.
“We must play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, end US aid to Israel and stand with Palestine,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesman for the Coalition to March at the DNC.
The coalition is made up of hundreds of organizations, including students. Activists say they lessons learned from last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They expect larger crowds and stronger demonstrations throughout the week.
The first protest on Sunday night brought together those calling for abortion, LGBTQ+ rights and an end to the war in Gaza. The march lasted for hours, along a route cordoned off by police, and showed no signs of major conflict.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who was considered as Harris’ running mate, said peaceful protests were welcome.
“There are a lot of people in the hall who believe in some of those messages and carry that with them,” Pritzker told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “But more importantly, the Democratic Party does not exclude people and allow them to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
However, some still worry about security, fearing that the protests will become unpredictable or descend into chaos.
Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other American city, could not escape comparisons with the infamous convention of 1968 where police and anti-Vietnam War protesters clashed on live television.
Some businesses have boarded up their windows as a precaution, and county courts said they would open up more space in the event of mass arrests. Chicago police say officers undergo extensive training on constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics.
Coalition activists and the city have clashed over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge ruled in favor of the city over a march route of about a mile, which organizers say is not large enough for the expected crowds. Abudayyeh said the coalition would continue to push for a much longer route until the march begins Monday.
Also on Monday, the Philadelphia-based Poor People’s Army, which advocates for economic justice, is scheduled to set up shop in Humboldt Park on Chicago’s northwest side and host events featuring third-party candidates. Jill Stein And Cornel West, plus a 5 kilometer march.
In addition to the protests, the city is also hosting a speakers’ podium in a park outside the convention center, with 45-minute time slots. Most of the organizations that have signed up share the coalition’s progressive agenda, but the list also includes the Israeli American Council and the conservative Illinois Policy Institute. A local firefighters’ union also hopes to draw attention to its contract battle with the city.
“The First Amendment is fundamental to our democracy,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former union organizer, told the AP in an interview last week. “I will do everything in my power to protect the right to protest.”