Disappoint National Convention
My week in Chicago protesting the DNC
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Last week I traveled from West Michigan to Chicago to demonstrate against the Democratic National Convention.
Why?
Since October 7th of last year, Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip have now killed over 40,000 Palestinians. Public health researchers estimate that the real number is three to 15 times higher if you include bodies that are buried under the rubble and those who have died of starvation and other indirect causes of the blockade (7·9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip).
Back in November, we saw the extent that Israel diverted blame for the bombing of schools and hospitals. Now, in June, they are saying that “No civilian is innocent” on their own social media. Combined with the Israeli leaders and media defending the rape of Palestinian prisoners, there is no doubt that genocide is being actively carried out. In January this was ruled “plausible” by the International Court of Justice and Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Belgium have all introduced arms embargoes.
There are many ways to make your voice heard and pressure politicians in the US. Taking to the streets with your physical presence indicates the strength of your willingness to sacrifice your time and travel somewhere for a cause. The successes of the Women’s Rights, Civil Rights, and Disability Rights movements are all credited to people who took direct action for what they believed in.
Not only is this genocide something that I personally don’t want my tax money to fund, it’s not what the majority of Americans want either. Recent polling showed that 64% of all voters and 86% of Democrats are in favor of a ceasefire.
So why protest at the DNC specifically? The Democrats are the party that have been in power since the genocide began. They have the ability to stop all weapon transfers immediately. Additionally, most pro-Palestine protesters identify more closely with the values of the Democratic Party than with the Republican Party. It makes sense to pressure them to be more representative of their people.
We want to put pressure on Kamala before she takes office. After an official is sworn in, there is less incentive for them to change their stances for public approval. Even though campaign promises aren’t binding, the time for this kind of pressure is now.
We know that the Republican Party is not about to be moved on this topic, so protesting them is not as efficient. That being said, I know many groups did protest at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month, and I would’ve considered it if I didn’t have a specialist doctor appointment that took months to get.
How did it go?
Leading up to the Democratic National Convention, news articles predicted around 50,000 protesters, and scenes reminiscent of the 1968 DNC protests in Chicago. The 2016 and 2020 DNCs were both met with protests, but the situation in Palestine hadwas not escalated to such a level as it has been this year. It was hard to know what to expect this year.
Monday
The marches on Monday and Thursday were both organized by the March on DNC Coalition. While led by a smaller group, this coalition included more than 250 left-leaning organizations.While the main demand was “Stand with Palestine! End U.S. Aid to Israel”, a number of other demands reflected solidarity with the working class, environment, LGBTQIA and reproductive rights, unions and control of police. The march was advertised as peaceful and family-friendly.
Upon arriving at Union Park, groups were setting up tables. I was surprised to see how militantly leftist the space was. Among the larger groups at the marches on Monday and Thursday were Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Socialist Alternative (with their pink “Capitalism has G-O-T-T-O-G-O” t-shirts), RevCom (the Revolutionary Communists), Anak Bayan, and NDN Collective. Chicago Action Medical were present with their first-aid tents off to the side and passed out water bottles and snacks. After turning down four different leftist newspapers I began to wonder if some organizations saw this event as more about recruiting new members. Who am I to speak though? I myself identify as a leftist and marched with a group on several days! By working in groups we can do far more than when we work alone. On Monday, I joined the Healthcare Workers for Palestine - Chicago at their smaller table and applied an iron-on design to a blank t-shirt that I had brought with me.
Soon, the speeches started at a mid-sized stage that had been set up. While my attention drifted in and out over these 2.5 hours, I understand the importance of this segment of the day. Leaders of the various groups had the opportunity to share why this cause was relevant to them. Groups and individuals were given recognition for the work that they have done. Movement elders also provided some encouragement and inspiration. If you’ve got the time, you can watch the rally here.
Finally, the speeches wrapped up and we prepared to march. As we headed to the street, I had to walk around a large pile of hundreds of signs that were ready to be carried by marchers. It was clear that many more people had been expected. Police lined streets, using bicycles as moving barriers. Marshals trained by the march organizers stood between us in an effort to supervise. Despite the discomfort of being enclosed by the police, I didn’t notice anything funky until we reached the halfway point - the point closest to the United Center. Something seemed to be happening ahead of us, and all of the marshals were linking arms. As I made my way past the agitation, someone bounded past, shouting “The marshals are trying to kettle us! They’re working with the police!” Kettling is when demonstrators are confined to a small area, often increasing tension and leading to more disorder. This person was clearly trying to incite conflict. Myself and most people around me ignored the person and kept walking.
The rest of the march continued on without incident from my perspective. Much later on, I learned that several protestors had breached an outer security fence, causing the frenzy by the marshals and police to re-secure the area. While some would argue that escalation of the protest is necessary to draw media attention to the genocide and those resisting it, many others criticized these protesters who went against the organizer’s plans to keep the march “family friendly”.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, I helped organize the Healthcare Workers for Palestine Chicago National Assembly which was held on the University of Illinois - Chicago Medical Campus. Members from Chicago have been holding vigils and engaging in advocacy over the past 10 months. Tuesday’s gathering included over 60 nurses, physicians, acupuncturists, clinical researchers, herbalists, occupational therapists and more from Chicago, California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Connecticut and beyond. Member Tammy Abughnaim spoke to us about her experiences in Gaza where she just finished her second visit (read this article about the press conference at the DNC she participated in). NDN Collective spoke to us about the shared struggle for land back of Native Peoples and Palestinians. We then split up into break-out groups to discuss organizing skills, direct action strategies, and community first response skill sharing. Lastly, we had a delicious Palestinian dinner. In contrast to Monday’s experience of marching and chanting side-by-side with strangers, I enjoyed having some face-to-face conversations with other folks from the health sector.
While I was at the Healthcare workers event, another protest was taking place. With 56 arrests, including three journalists, this event had a distinctly different tone from the marches that I attended during the week. The National Lawyers Guild said that “police provoked confrontations, rushed the crowd, indiscriminately arrested people on the sidewalk, and entrapped groups in order to carry out mass arrests." This demonstration was organized by the same group that is blamed for the disruption during Monday’s march. While many are still criticizing this group’s action for very valid reasons, a main difference from Monday is that this event was never advertised as family friendly. One of the group’s calls was to “Escalate for Gaza”. Here are a few of their own words:
while our own government is incinerating human beings in Gaza daily, when US made bombs are forcing parents to watch their children be buried alive, when the money sent by Genocide Joe and Killer Kamala arms the rapists in the Sde Teiman concentration camp, why do people in the US have the right to prioritize their own safety? How is any protest going to be successful if it doesn’t challenge and disrupt business as usual to actually disturb the normal functioning of a society that is aiding and abetting a genocide? And why should any of that be safe?
Compared to the daily violence and destruction in Gaza, I can understand why peaceful marches that have become commonplace may feel like a joke.
Wednesday
Wednesday’s march was organized by the Chicago Coalition for Justice for Palestine, a coalition of eight organizations withho are either a Palestinian or Islamic focus. This coalition has been responsible for dozens of marches over the last year and has really perfected their organizing methods, which includes bringing in buses of participants from mosques all over the suburbs. While the same leftist organizations were also present, they weren’t as dominating and I felt like the crowd's make-up leaned more Arab than Monday and Thursday. Many of the speakers at the pre-march rally were the same as Monday, but also included a few more Arab voices and a speech from the Green Party Presidential Candidate Jill Stein.
While writing this blog, I found this facebook post from the group which said:
In May, there was a plan to submit an application for a permit but on the morning of the planned submission, the Chicago Police Department raided a pro-Palestine student encampment at DePaul University and arrested two students. As such, CJP leaders held a press conference in front of city hall at which they announced that no permit application would be submitted and subsequently tore up the application.
Although no permit was applied for, city of Chicago and CPD leadership had no choice but to let the demonstration and march proceed as planned. CJP leader and chair of Palestinian American Community Center, Mwafaq Jbara, said "We didn't have a permit. We didn't need a permit. What we've done on the streets for 10 months proves who we are and what we can do. The city and the police department agreed to our demands because of the people power we have built. This is all thanks to our community and our supporters!"
Ordinarily, a protest that will block traffic requires a parade permit in Chicago. Unlike the March on DNC group, who spoke out about their difficulties getting permits for their marches and liaising with the police, the Chicago Coalition just went forward without them. The rally and march itself didn’t actually look that different from Monday’s though. I thought there were more police wearing riot gear in the vicinity of the United Center, but I may have just not noticed them before.
As we rounded the corner from Lake Street to Ashland Avenue, right at the end of the march, I had a sudden feeling of unease. The lines of bike cop barricades were two-deep and additional cops on foot stood behind them. Several Community Relations Service staff briskly walked by and National Lawyer Guild legal observers stood by. My instincts told me that something was about to happen. Part of me wanted to push forward. I resisted this, knowingknow it could’ve caused confusion and panic. Just a few minutes later, the tension dissipated and we walked the final half-block in peace. Those moments demonstrated to me how the heightened presence of law enforcement can incite violence.
After that march I made my way to the Uncommitted Movement and Not Another Bomb campaign organizing space. Pizza was on a side table and another room held tables of t-shirts, signs and tote bags. We live streamed the moment when, from inside the DNC perimeter, the uncommitted delegates held a press conference to declare a sit-in. I highly recommend watching this clip (starts at 3:14). As you’ll see, this moment was very emotional for the delegates and it woke me up to the reality that the DNC was already more than halfway over and no wins had been made for Palestine yet. In a normal world, we wouldn’t even say that having a Palestinian-American address the DNC is a win - we would call that the bare minimum. Several groups of organizers were huddled with their laptops around the room and some left to deliver supplies to the delegates at the United Center who ended up staying there overnight.
On my way home that evening I was heartened to run across some activists holding light-up signs above Interstate 290 that said “EYES ON GAZA”.
Thursday
Thursday morning, I headed to the Regency Hyatt hotel at McCormick Place to get a closer look at the official convention. This was where many activities such as party meetings, and briefings were held during the daytime. As I walked through the lobby, I passed multitudes of people mulling about in keffiyehs, and pro-Palestine t-shirts. Once again, I was reminded that, besides being swept under the rug by the establishment, this is no small issue to most democrats.
The day went by and no celebratory news came in relation to the Uncommitted Movement’s sit-in. That evening, I marched the same route for the third time. Right at the end, we held our ground under the EL on Lake Street for over thirty minutes and continued to make noise as Kamala gave her acceptance speech just half a mile away. The official DNC finished that Thursday evening without having had a single Palestinian-American on stage.
Reflections on how we show up
As I just moved back from New Zealand, I was naturally comparing and contrasting the pro-Palestine movements there versus here. I mentioned above that I was surprised and somewhat concerned by how some leftist groups seemed to dominate the march. Another one of those differences was the caliber of the messaging on signs. In Chicago, I saw a lot more banners saying “Victory to the Palestinian Resistance”, “Glory to the Martyrs”, and “When people are occupied, resistance is justified”. At first glance, these messages may seem to be advocating for violence. I’ll admit that I felt nervous about how this march would be perceived by the general public.
My theory is that I noticed more of this style of messaging here in Chicago than in New Zealand because the Arab population here is much larger. It makes sense that Palestinian people will express themselves in terms that align with their language and culture.
I’ve spent some time reflecting on my own discomfort and would like to share some thoughts with you. First, I invite you to think about what “resistance” can look like. Resistance can include both violent and non-violent action. Resistance can look like boycotting goods that are made in illegal Israeli settlements, it can look like the Great March of Return against the Gaza-Israel border fence, it can look like wearing a keffiyeh in public, it can look like the terrifying attacks that Hamas carried out on October 7th, and it can look like marching on the street of Chicago to demand a ceasefire.
In the Palestinian context, the term “martyr” refers to anyone, even civilians and children such as Hind Rajab, who are killed in conflict. Wishing them Glory means they pray for them to have a life in Paradise and justice be brought to their murderers on Earth.
Why not use softer language? Not Another Bomb is an example of a campaign with very clear messaging that is easy and accessible for folks of many backgrounds to get on board with. If this is a strategy for achieving certain goals, why don’t marches follow this lead to tone down the messaging and accommodate more folks? As marches are actions that are composed of the public, it seems less appropriate to try to control messages. Marches are inherently spaces where people can have their own voices heard. Messages that are clearly racist or advocating violence against civilians should always be challenged. However, restricting messages because someone’s cultural biases cause them to feel discomfort is discrimination. Instead, I think we should seek to understand what these messages truly mean and what context they are coming from.
For folks that could face real risks, such as loss of employment, from participating in public resistance, messaging invoking the Palestinian resistance could feel like too risky. If this is you, remember that covering your face with a keffiyeh or covid mask is always an option.
Speaking of keffiyehs… If the sight of someone covering their face in a keffiyeh automatically makes alarm bells go off, take some time to learn about their history and uses. In the desert, a keffiyeh can be draped across the face to protect from dust and for modesty purposes. In the US, it can be draped across the face to protect from surveillance technology.
From CNN article The Keffiyeh Explained
Final thoughts
Looking back, I think I was secretly hoping that someone inside the establishment would see our efforts and promise a change. I’ve seen that happen with other movements, but as it goes, you can’t win every time. By Day 3, I was truly sobered by both the low turnout at the marches and only lip service from the establishment.
I think the most likely reason for the low attendance at the marches this week is burn-out. Many of us have been organizing and marching for 10 months now. Many probably feel that it’s absolutely futile. Perhaps some people have seen Kamala’s candidacy as a speck of hope and are taking that as an opportunity to rest.
Why has the democratic party been silent? That’s beyond the scope of this blog post, but let’s consider how AIPAC’s money took down Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman, and how that’s probably hitting every corner of the party. It seems that when it comes to foreign election interference it’s wrong if Russia does it, but completely fine when Israel does.
Despite these feelings of failure, I’ve also been reminding myself that our efforts were not in vain either. Our experiences accumulate as the struggle continues. Here are just a few concrete examples:
Healthcare workers met up and shared stories, strategies and encouragement to take back to their groups across the country.
A group called Chicago Dissenters put on the ‘F the G(enocidal)NC’ conference with educational sessions organized across three different venues in Chicago.
The Uncommitted Delegates participated in the DNC and undoubtedly came away with inside knowledge that they’ll carry forth into their future organizing.
I experienced something new in American politics and know I can take on a bigger role next time.
Everytime a march is organized, new organizers are brought alongside and trained up in the various skills it takes to put it together. New individuals join us on the street and are empowered to chant against the empire. Through all these activities, the message is spread further. And the deafening silence from the establishment is brought to light.
Photos and sketches by myself unless otherwise noted.