CHICAGO — Thousands of protesters swarming the streets outside the Democratic National Convention and chanting “Killer Kamala” dashed any hope that the party’s anti-Israel wing would be mollified by having Vice President Kamala Harris replace President Biden atop the ticket.
Nearly 20,000 people joined the demonstration Monday at Union Park, near the convention site in United Center, according to Coalition to March on the DNC, which represents more than 200 activist organizations.
The city had a heavy police presence. Security measures included barricaded streets and police helicopters circling overhead. As the convention was starting, some protesters tried to breach metal fencing at the security perimeter around the United Center.
The protesters saw no daylight between Ms. Harris and Mr. Biden on the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
“We made it very clear from the very beginning. There is no difference,” March on DNC spokesman Hatem Abudeyahh, told reporters. “Not only is she part of the administration, she is part and parcel of and in lockstep with 75 years of U.S. policies in relation to Palestine and the Arab world.”
He added, “We said from Day One, nothing’s changing. You know, all whole steam ahead for our coalition and our mobilization.”
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Protesters in the throng waved signs that read “Abandon Harris ’24,” “Victory to the Palestinian Resistance,” “End U.S. aid to Israel,” “No more money for Israeli crimes,” “The women of Gaza are our sisters,” “Reject AIPAC” and “Stop police crimes.”
Demonstrators marched toward United Center chanting, “It is right to rebel, Democrats go to hell,” “Just like 1968, there’s nothing here to celebrate,” and “Palestine will live forever.”
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said several protesters were arrested after activists tried to break through a perimeter fence near the convention site.
“Our officers responded as professionally as we trained them to,” he told ABC News.
Despite finding common ground with Ms. Harris on other issues such as climate change, abortion and LBGTQ rights, protesters told The Washington Times they found it difficult to support her in the presidential election.
Hendo Sharif, a Palestinian woman who has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years, said she would not vote for Ms. Harris.
“I’m not going to be voting for VP Harris because she’s complicit in this genocide. She and Joe Biden are really complicit in this genocide,” she said.
“The Palestinian community are not going to vote for the Democratic Party. Some of them are going to vote for [Green Party nominee] Jill Stein. Some of them are going to vote for [independent candidate] Cornel West or they’re going to be uncommitted.”
Chicago native Ryan, 37, said he joined the demonstrations because he wants the next president to end the death and destruction in Gaza.
“I would stand with whatever candidate I feel would be best at kind of ending this because this is direct violence,” he said. “It’s changing lives. It’s changing the country.”
Another Chicago resident, Deandre, 29, said he wasn’t registered to vote but would cast his ballot for former President Donald Trump over Ms. Harris because “he wants to make peace. He doesn’t want war.”
Deandre was an outlier in the protest crowd but still counted himself as a defender of the people in Gaza, saying, “Some people don’t have enough food to feed kids. … I’ve seen videos in Palestine where kids are using cans as shoes to walk around in Gaza, and I cried.”
Anti-Israel protesters quickly made their presence known to DNC attendees in the Windy City before the convention started Monday. They crashed a delegate welcome party on Sunday, waving Palestinian flags and chanting, playing music and screaming at police.
Chicago police are out in force, and their ranks have been swelled by as many as 500 officers from other jurisdictions who were brought in for the week.
A federal judge previously denied organizers’ motion to use a longer parade route that would have brought protesters closer to the United Center.
Mr. Abudayyeh, the March on DNC spokesman, previously said that they proposed a 2.4-mile-long route that was denied by the court, and the current route could cause bottlenecking in downtown Chicago near the convention’s venue, United Center.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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