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US Elections 2024

US: Pro-Palestine movement makes itself heard at DNC 2024

Protestors in Chicago and users online have put Democratic Party under fire only one day into convention in Chicago
Demonstrators march near the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on 19 August 2024, in Chicago, Illinois (John Moore/Getty Images via AFP)
By Maysa Mustafa
Published date: 20 August 2024 22:35 BST | Last update: 3 months ago

With only one day completed, the Democratic National Convention has already caused a commotion inside the walls of the United Center, the streets of Chicago, and on social media platforms. 

The quadrennial event is where Democratic Party delegates formally nominate their presidential and vice presidential picks and decide on the party's platform ahead of the election later in the year.

But because Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz have already been appointed as this year's nominees, the convention has consisted of long-winded speeches of praise for Harris and President Joe Biden (specifically for his decision to bow out of the race), criticism of Donald Trump and the Republican Party, and is a stage for multiple movements to highlight their issues, such as the labour and abortion-rights movements. 

For those in the pro-Palestine movement, the convention has served as a microcosm of the relationship between the Palestine advocates and the Democratic Party – not only since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October, but for the last several decades. 

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The convention, for example, began with a land acknowledgement from leaders of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribal Council: vice-chairman Zach Pahmahmie and Tribal council secretary Lorrie Melchior. They took to the stage to welcome the Democratic Party to their "ancestral homelands".

"Here we are, together on our ancestral homelands of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and our sister Potawatomi nations. We also honour the spirit of the other tribal nations who travelled westward to this beautiful area. Welcome 2024 Democratic National Convention to our homelands. This land has and always will carry enormous importance to its original stewards, our ancestors and our present-day communities," Pahmahmie said.

Many online saw the irony in the Democratic Party’s ironclad support for Israel - which has forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians off of their ancestral homeland since October alone – as a testament to the party’s inconsistent beliefs when it comes to Palestinians.

Gaza was mentioned multiple times on the main stage. President Biden said he would "keep working to bring hostages home, end the war in Gaza, and bring peace and security to the Middle East". 

New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed Biden's message for the party, and said that Harris was "working tirelessly to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and bringing hostages home".

For those who have been waiting for the US to revoke its unwavering financial and moral support of Israel, these messages are more frustrating than they are comforting, advocates say. 

Palestinian-American lawyer and activist Noura Erakat said the speeches amounted to "gaslighting". 

Another user said that these messages are dangerous in minimising the US's role in Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since October thus far. 

Protests  

Protests of the Biden-Harris administration's complicity in the war have been done both inside and outside of the convention. 

On Sunday, a person stormed the stage during the DNC's welcome party before grabbing the microphone and saying, "150,000 are dead. You are funding a genocide". 

On Monday, a group of DNC members unfurled a banner that read, "Stop arming Israel". Surrounding members attempted to block the view of the banner with signs that read, "We Love Joe" and "USA". The audience responded with chants of "We love Joe" as the banner was taken away. 

Around that time, delegates reportedly used their "We Love Joe" signs to hit pro-Palestine delegates on the head. One of those who was hit was Nadia Ahmad, who was wearing a hijab. 

In another protest action, several DNC delegates covered their mouths during President Biden's speech. 

"We wanted to send the message that we don't agree with what Biden has been doing. He has been funding the genocide of the Palestinian people for ten months now," Washington state delegate and Uncommited organiser Sabrine Odeh said. 

And in the streets of Chicago, thousands have convened to protest against the party and convention. As the convention kicked off, the numbers protecting the DNC were reportedly greater than those attending it. 

Tensions were high between protestors and the hundreds of police that were stationed at rallies and marches. 

AP reported that 13 protestors were detained after "breaching" a fence that was built for the convention. 

The message of the protests has been very specific – to put a weapons embargo on Israel. 

Academic Eman Abdelhadi spoke at one of the rallies, saying that the Democratic Party must "earn [their] votes". 

'Historic but not the prize'

In response to the expected protests, the DNC has attempted to compromise with members who have been pushing for an end to the war on Gaza by setting up a panel for the Uncommited movement to discuss the plight of the Palestinian people.

The panel was untelevised and was held at an outpost four miles away from the main centre of the convention. 

The panel comprised a surgeon who had treated Palestinians in Gaza, an ex-DNC member, party activists and one of the leaders of the Uncommitted movement. 
 

One of the panellists, Hala Hijazi, said that she was a long-time Democrat who had raised over two million dollars for the party, but was at the panel because she has had over 100 family members killed in Gaza. 


Although many celebrated the progress of making space for the Palestinian struggle at the DNC, they pointed out that this is not an end goal. 

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