Democrats keep anti-Israel activists off convention stage

CHICAGO — Democratic Party officials angered pro-Palestinian activists by denying them time to address the national convention.

A group of uncommitted delegates, who held back their vote for President Biden in the primary over military funding for Israel, staged a sit-in in front of the United Center late Wednesday to protest the decision.

One night of the convention remains, and they are demanding party leaders make a last-minute reversal and let one of them address the thousands of delegates gathered to cheer on Vice President Kamala Harris when she accepts the party’s presidential nomination.

“Thursday is the last day of the convention. They need to add someone to the program immediately,” Abbas Alawieh, an uncommitted delegate from Michigan, said.

Party officials haven’t provided a public statement on the scheduling and over the course of the convention have switched up the speaker list at the last minute.

But they acknowledged Thursday that they don’t plan to surrender the DNC stage even briefly to the activist group.

The move could risk dampening the convention’s excitement and momentum brought by ditching low-polling Mr. Biden and putting Ms. Harris on top of the ticket.

Hundreds of anti-Israel activists gathered in Chicago this week to try to disrupt the convention.

Police arrested dozens of people, and several cops were injured in clashes far away from the security gates surrounding the convention site.

Harris campaign spokesman Michael Tyler on Thursday said Ms. Harris and other party officials aren’t ignoring the “uncommitted” movement, which garnered nearly 700,000 votes during the Democratic primary.

“We’ve worked to engage them throughout the convention,” Mr. Tyler said. “We are proud of the fact that we held a panel conversation with members of the uncommitted movement.”

Mr. Tyler said Ms. Harris sat down with the movement’s leaders when she visited Michigan this month.

He said she’ll push for a cease-fire agreement “that allows Israel to fully secure itself and makes sure that we have full humanitarian aid, but also makes sure that Gazans are able to peacefully live and prosper in Gaza.”

In a post on X, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on DNC officials to open a speaking slot for the group.

The DNC provided prime time Wednesday to the parents of hostages held in Gaza by the Hamas terrorist group.

The party should also allow Palestinians to speak about the thousands of people killed in Gaza by the Israeli military, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said.

“To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians. The DNC must change course and affirm our shared humanity,” the New York Democrat said.