Chicago, Illinois – Opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza isn’t a complicated issue, says Rich Barnes.
“Are we for the mass murder of children or are we against it? To me, it’s a very simple equation,” he said while holding Palestinian and Irish flags near the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday.
Barnes was one of thousands of protesters who covered the grass of Union Park, just a few blocks from the Democratic National Convention, demanding an end to United States support for Israel’s war.
As Democrats gathered at their convention to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee, several Palestinian rights advocates told Al Jazeera they would not vote for Harris unless she agreed to an arms embargo against Israel.
The demonstration, called “March on the DNC”, also demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“I’m concerned because I think there’s not going to be any big, major change with that,” Barnes said. “We’re trying to put as much pressure as possible on the left to say: ‘Listen, you can’t expect our vote.'”
Protesters held placards linking Harris and President Joe Biden to the atrocities taking place in Gaza, which they describe as genocide: an attempt to destroy the Palestinian people through bombing and starvation.
One poster read: “Both Democrats and Republicans have blood on their hands.” Another read: “No vote for Kamala until there is a weapons ban on Israel.”
‘We need to see action’
The convention began Monday, when thousands of Democratic officials, activists and supporters descended on Chicago to celebrate Harris’ candidacy ahead of November’s presidential election.
Harris, chosen to replace Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, is scheduled to accept the party’s nomination on Thursday, the fourth day of the event.
But the protests at the convention were organized with the assumption that Biden — a staunch Israel supporter who led support for the war on Gaza — would be the nominee. He withdrew from the race on July 21 because of concerns about his age and ability to lead.
For many protesters, however, the new Democratic nominee makes little difference. Their message to the Democratic Party remains the same: that it must listen to the millions of voters who want an end to US-backed human rights abuses against Palestinians.
Although Harris has acknowledged the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, the Democratic candidate has not promised any real policy changes on the issue.
Amal Jaber, a teacher who traveled from Wisconsin to join Monday’s protest, called Harris’s sympathy for Palestinians a “sham promise.”
“We need to see action,” Jaber told Al Jazeera. “Palestinians are still being killed today. Until we see real change, I don’t think the Muslim community in Wisconsin will support Kamala Harris right now. Enough is enough.”
The United States has provided Israel with military support and billions of dollars in aid for its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.
Biden, who describes himself as a Zionist, has been a staunch supporter of Israel.
The vice president does not typically set foreign policy, but the White House has said Harris has been a “full partner” in overseeing the US approach to Gaza.
But after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month, Harris called the war “catastrophic.”
“We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to suffering, and I will not remain silent,” she told the press.
Nevertheless, the vice president has said through her aides that she does not support an arms embargo against Israel, disappointing the hopes of many anti-war protesters.
A protester at a protest in Chicago on Thursday held a sign that read, “DNC = No Change for Decades.”
“There has been no change. There has been no reform of this murderous system. And the answer is to abandon the empire,” Tina, who chose to be identified only by her first name, told Al Jazeera.
He said Harris’s expression of sympathy for the Palestinians would make no difference without a change in policy — “none at all.”
‘This is not going to end’
Gaza-related protests are expected to continue throughout the week until the conference concludes on Thursday.
Chicago, which has a long history of political activism, is home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in the US.
One masked protester, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera he found it inconsistent that Democrats had decided to hold their convention in Chicago, the largest US city to pass a Gaza ceasefire resolution.
“It feels like a slap in the face that the Democrats are currently funding this genocide, yet they still decided to come here,” the protester told Al Jazeera.
“But it also feels right that we’re here doing this rally, and that we have the opportunity to participate in it.”
Inside the hall of the Democratic National Convention, the anti-war movement will also be represented by dozens of “uncommitted” delegates.
They represent millions of people who voted “uncommitted” in the Democratic primaries to protest Biden’s Gaza policy.
“We need a change in Gaza policy. We need a ceasefire,” Abbas Alavieh, an “uncommitted” representative from Michigan, told reporters at a news conference on Monday.
“We have to stop sending the weapons that are being used to kill families, to kill our loved ones, to kill civilians in Gaza, and to continue the devastating occupation of Palestinian land and the Palestinian people.”
During the protest, protesters warned Harris that she and her demands would not be easily dismissed.
“This is not going away,” said U.S. military veteran Kwabena Ampofo. “What you’re seeing right now is not just a media moment. It’s not just five minutes or 15 minutes of sunshine. This is an issue — the likes of which I’ve never seen in my nearly 30 years of life — that transcends so many people’s lives.”
