Tens of thousands march in Chicago: What to know about the pro-Palestine protests at DNC 2024

It’s been a raucous week in Chicago, both inside the Democratic National Convention and outside on the streets. While party delegates and supporters have been rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, protestors have descended on the Windy City to rally around one primary topic: the war in Gaza.

Chief among the demands of pro-Palestine protestors is an end of U.S. aid to Israel. The Israel-Hamas war has stretched on for nearly a year and killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza, according to the latest estimates.

In Chicago, thousands of protestors have gathered this week in Union Park, which is a few blocks away from the United Center, where the convention is taking place. The March on the DNC 2024, a coalition of 220-plus different organizations, organized a march between the park and the convention on Monday.

Organizers estimate the march brought together 20,000 people from around the country—”a diverse base that the Democrats claim to represent”—in a group that was largely peaceful, though there were some arrests, Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the coalition, tells Fast Company. “The march was really successful.”

Protests disrupt politicians on Tuesday

But protestors have also sought out other opportunities to make their demands heard. An unsanctioned march outside of the Israeli consulate resulted in 72 arrests, according to reporting by The Chicago Tribune. Earlier on Tuesday, a small group of protestors briefly disrupted Minnesota Governor Tim Walz when he made a surprise appearance at the Democratic women’s caucus.

A few audience members also interrupted a live episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday when the talk show host was interviewing former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Colbert asked Pelosi to address the complaints of protestors, noting that her statement that “war has no role in a civilized society” was seemingly unsatisfying to some.

Pelosi told Colbert that peace is only possible with a two-state solution. This message is consistent with the 2024 Democratic Party Platform, a 90-plus page document released ahead of the convention. The party platform noted that President Joe Biden, who is finishing out his final months in office, has been “determined to broker an immediate and lasting ceasefire deal.”

More protests scheduled this week

One-off protests are likely to continue, though at least two other major marches are scheduled this week, both originating from Union Park. On Wednesday, the Coalition for Justice in Palestine is planning a march on the convention, followed on Thursday by another event organized by the March on DNC 2024 coalition.

While this year’s convention has drawn parallels to the 1968 Democratic National Convention that also took place in Chicago, clashes this year haven’t been violent so far. Local law enforcement has worked in conjunction with federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, to prepare for the convention.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised his officers for their response to demonstrators on Monday, even though protestors briefly breached a security barrier. He condemned those protestors trying to “wreak havoc” at the consulate on Tuesday, and noted that about half of those arrested were from out of town. Arrest records for this week are not yet available on the Chicago Police Department’s website.

The Chicago metropolitan area is home to the largest population of Palestinian Americans in the U.S., according to the Center for Arab Narratives.

President Biden acknowledged protestors

One positive indication that the message of pro-Palestinian protestors is resonating with convention attendees, Mijana says, came Monday when President Biden addressed the convention. “Those protesters out in the street, they have a point,” Biden said. “A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”

But protestors indicate their frustrations with the lack of progress with chants that include ”free, free Palestine” or ”Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide” or “no more money for Israel’s crimes.” Many of these protestors are people within the party who are trying to enact change, says Mijana, who uses they/them pronouns. And in this election, 10,000 votes could “make all the difference,” they add. Various polls currently show that the race is close, though Harris may have a slight lead on former President Donald Trump.

“We don’t just want words, we want action,” Mijana says. “We want to see, writ large, an end to all U.S. aid to Israel.”