Pro-Palestinian protests loom ahead of first day of Democratic convention

Police officers stand near marching activists as they wave Palestinian flags ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 18, 2024. /Adrees Latif/File Photo

CHICAGO - Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters were expected to gather at the Democratic National Convention on its opening day on Monday to assail the Biden administration's position on Israel as it wages its war in Gaza.

A one-mile march organized by umbrella group "March on the DNC" was scheduled to take place at a park outside the Chicago convention arena hours before President Joe Biden addresses the gathering where Democratic delegates will publicly nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate.

Organizers had sought a longer route so that all the protesters could walk, said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesman for March, comprised of more than 200 groups.

Many people are coming from Palestinian and Arab communities in Illinois and neighboring states, organizers said last week. The coalition also includes groups advocating for a range of causes, including reproductive rights and racial justice.

Roman Fritz, at 19 one of the youngest Wisconsin delegates, said he worried the Secret Service would confiscate his scarf, imprinted with the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh pattern, when he arrived at the official gathering. Fritz said he planned to participate in the march but had no plans to disrupt the official events later.

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

Fritz, who wore a T-shirt reading "Ceasefire delegate" said he supported Harris as the nominee to beat Trump, but would not vote for her, given the Biden administration's support of Israel.

"In good conscience, I can't vote for her with the lack of a concrete policy on an arms embargo on Israel and a real ceasefire."

March on DNC spokesman Abudayyeh said he expected tens of thousands of marchers at the 1 p.m. CDT (1800 GMT) event. The group has its own security, and he does not anticipate violence from the protesters amid the heavy police and U.S. Secret Service presence around the security perimeter.

Protesters want police not to infringe on their free speech rights, he said.

"That's their only responsibility. We don't need them to keep us safe. We don't need them to protect us, just not to infringe on our rights," Abudayyeh said Monday morning.

Another large protest was scheduled for Thursday, when Harris was to accept the nomination.

Pro-Palestinian supporters have for months protested the Biden administration's military and financial support for Israel during its war against Hamas, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials. Israel launched the offensive after it was attacked on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people, according to Israel tallies.

The protests swelled on U.S. college campuses last spring, with police clearing student encampments, at times after confrontations between protesters and counterprotesters.

Scattered protests began on Sunday in a relatively empty downtown Chicago.

On Sunday night, a crowd of roughly 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched through downtown Chicago, chanting "Shut down the DNC."

"The Democrats are the ones in power," Abudayyeh said on Monday. "It's their war. They're responsible for it, they're complicit, and they can stop it."